N®NE  BUT 
THE  BRAVE 


y. 


HAMBLEN  SEARS 


. 


MiWw  ft 

I 


None  but  the  Brave  — 


"I 


Sears 


DODD  MEAD  ^COMPANY 
MDCCCCII 


Copyright,  1901,  by  Frank  A.  Munsey,  as 
"In  the  Shadow  of  War." 

Copyright,  1902,  by  Dodd,  Mead  &  Company. 
First  Edition.     Published  April,  1902. 


THE  CAXTON  PRESS 
NEW  YORK. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PACK 

I.     IN   WHICH,    REVERSING   THE    ORDER  OF   THINGS, 

A  COACH  HOLDS  UP  A  HORSEMAN     .    .       .4 
II.   IN  WHICH  THE  WORLD  ENDS  FOR  ONE  MAN  AND 

BEGINS  FOR  ANOTHER n 

III.  IN  WHICH  IT  APPEARS  THAT   THERE  is  MORE 

THAN  ONE  REASON  FOR  MATRIMONY  ...  22 

IV.  AS  TO  THE  MOODS  OF  A  MAIDEN 32 

V.  WHICH  TREATS  OF  A  STRANGE  GALLERY  IN  A 

STRANGE  THEATRE 43 

VI.  IN  WHICH  A  PRISONER  is  TRIED  AND  HIS  JAILER 

ESCAPES 55 

VII.  GEORGE  WASHINGTON 70 

VIII.   IN  WHICH  I  AM  BIDDEN  TO  ENTER  A  FORBID 
DEN  HOUSE 82 

IX.  THE  REAL  MOUSE  IN  THE  TRAP 91 

X.     HOW   THE    MOUSE   BECAME   A    LlON IO8 

XI.   IN  WHICH  ROGER  LEADS  IN  A  FAST  RIDE    .     .  121 

XII.  THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 128 

XIII.  PROBLEM  3 136 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIV.  THE  EPISODE  OF  HOLT'S  TAVERN     ....  148 

XV.   THE  EPISODE  OF  HOLT'S  TAVERN  (continued}  157 

XVI.  A  CASE  OF  MISTAKEN  IDENTITY 167 

XVII.   IN  WHICH  THE  SPECIAL   MESSENGER  OF  SIR 

HENRY  CLINTON  is  FED 180 

XVIII.  THE  DINNER  OF  THE  BARONESS  RIEDESEL    .  200 
XIX.   How    ONE   MAY    MAKE    FRIENDS   WITH   THE 

ENEMY 216 

XX.  THE  MEETING  BY  THE  VAUXHALL  GARDENS  .  231 
XXI.   IN   WHICH   A  WOMAN   DENIES   AND  A   MAN 

DIES 247 

XXII.  THE  OLD  SUGAR  HOUSE 259 

XXIII.  AWAKENING 273 

XXIV.  A  CASE  OF  "NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE"  ...  288 
XXV.  THE  IDEA  OF  MISTRESS  DEBBY 300 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

"WE    TURNED      INTO    THE    MAIN     HIGHWAY    OF    THE 

HUDSON"    .     .     .     .    ,     .     ......     .     Frontispiece 

FACING 

PAGE 

"THE  ROOM    .    .    .    WAS  NOW  FILLED  WITH  THE 
FUMES  OF  FOUL  TOBACCO" 12 

MAJOR  JOHN  ANDRE 50 

"  WE  PASSED  OUT  OF  CAMP  INTO  THE  NIGHT  "    .    .      88 

"'LIEUTENANT  BALFORT,'  SAID  WASHINGTON,  .   .   . 
'YOU  HAVE  OBEYED  QUICKLY"' 130 

HOLT'S  TAVERN , 148 

THE  BARONESS  RIEDESEL 196 

"'SHE  SITS  HERE  ALL  DAY  AND  EVERY  NIGHT'"  ,    ,    274 


None  but  the  Brave  — 


I  DO  not  know  why  I  should  sit  here  to  write  of  my 
earlier  days.  There  was  nothing  in  them  out  of 
the  ordinary,  as  I  look  back  at  them  now ;  noth 
ing  but  what  might,  and  no  doubt  did,  happen  to  many 
another  young  fellow  in  those  busy  days  of  our  great 
fight  for  the  right  to  live  as  we  deemed  best  in  this 
new  land  across  the  sea.  And  yet  those  days  did  then 
seem  to  me  unusual,  and  I  can  tell  the  youngsters  that 
come  after  me  that  there  was  something  to  be  done 
every  hour,  and  many  a  goodly  thrust  of  sword  and 
pike  to  make  for  what  was  our  right  and  our  just  due. 
Thank  God,  the  long  years  are  gone  that  devastated 
this  fair  land  and  destroyed  the  happiness  of  so  many 
families !  And  when  I  think  of  the  ruined  towns  and 
the  thousands  of  graves  left  by  that  long  war,  I  can 
not  help  bidding  those  who  come  after  us  to  give  their 
forbears  what  is  but  their  due  —  the  credit  for  mak 
ing  a  free  land  with  their  blood,  and  leaving  a  bit  of 
this  green  earth  where  the  next  that  come  to  it  may 
breathe  the  air  of  freedom. 

Perhaps  in  this  year  of  our  Lord,  1811,  the  grave 
signs  of  another  disagreement  with  Great  Britain 
makes  me  want  to  do  my  share  to  ward  off  another 

i 


.2 .::v:  INTONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

fight,  by  telling  the  men  of  to-day  something  of  the 
struggle  we  had  thirty  and  more  years  ago.  In  good 
truth,  if  the  hotheads  have  not  a  care  we  shall  be  at 
it  again,  and  no  mistake.  And  yet,  if  the  time  should 
again  come,  if  a  second  struggle  is  to  be  fought  out, 
then  this  hand  that  scratches  across  the  page  now  is 
not  so  weak,  nor  the  heart  so  sluggish,  but  that  I  can 
take  the  old  sword  down  from  my  study  wall  and 
strike  another  blow  for  the  rocks  and  hills  and  homes 
we  worked  so  hard  to  call  our  own,  back  in  the  last 
century.  Let  the  men  of  England  make  no  mistake! 
Those  of  us  who  are  getting  on  towards  the  three 
score  of  years  have  still  the  spark  in  us,  and  we  can 
stand  up  beside  the  younger  ones,  who  have  come 
since  the  old  days,  and  mayhap  show  them  a  point  or 
two  that  came  to  us  from  the  great  Washington. 

Perhaps,  though,  this  itch  of  the  pen  comes  only 
from  a  wish  to  recall  those  strenuous  days,  when  my 
friends  and  I  lived  a  life  that  could  not  be  equalled 
for  its  constant  change  and  its  constant  action.  Those 
were  great  old  times,  when  we  saw  little  of  the  misery 
and  much  of  the  famous  fighting,  when  we  worked 
out  the  beginnings  of  what  we  now  call  American. 

Perhaps,  yet  once  again,  it  is  all  to  recall  the  face 
that  is  not  a  hundred  miles  from  me  at  this  moment, 
that  has  walked  and  worked  by  my  side  these  thirty 
years.  Aye,  friend,  if  you  had  but  known  her  then 
—  if  you  but  knew  her  now  —  the  fearless  gentle 
nature  that  has  made  me  what  I  am,  that  would  have 
made  me  so  much  more  had  I  been  aught  but  a  lump 
of  animated  clay !  If  you  could  but  have  looked  into 


v     NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *     3 

her  eyes  and  seen  what  I  saw !  If  you  could  but  have 
heard  her  voice !  —  hark !  I  can  hear  it  now  —  that 
old  song  somewhere  above  stairs,  as  she  goes  about 
her  daily  work  of  bringing  up  the  chickens  she  and  I 
are  trying  to  make  worthy  their  native  land.  Chickens 
they  are  no  longer,  but  sturdy  boys  and  girls  —  men 
and  women  they  would  call  themselves.  Yet  their 
father,  sitting  Here  in  his  study  looking  out  on  Boston 
Common,  could  tell  them  a  tale  —  aye,  has  many  a 
time,  in  part,  —  that  would  wake  the  brave  spirit  in 
them. 

Well,  whatever  the  reason  for  this  scribbling,  I  have 
a  liking  for  trying  it.  Perhaps  it  may  stir  up  some 
lad.  Perhaps  it  may  give  a  hint  to  some  young  girl 
as  to  what  a  woman  was  in  those  days,  and  should  be 
in  these.  Indeed,  I  believe  I  have  it  now !  'T  is  the 
last  reason,  to  be  sure !  For  as  I  walk  down  old  Beacon 
Hill  and  along  the  Charles  after  a  useless  day  of  vot 
ing  in  the  House  to  widen  my  neighbor's  street  or 
some  such  meaningless  trash,  and  come  upon  one  of 
the  fairest  of  all  God's  creations  —  as  I  see  her  walk 
ing  onward  in  all  the  innocence  and  beauty  of  her 
youth,  there  must  needs  come  into  these  eyes  of  mine 
weak  tears  to  think  that  I  am  old,  and  yet  that  I  have 
seen  the  time  when  such  as  she  would  send  me  smil 
ing  to  my  grave  could  I  but  keep  her  just  as  she  is  in 
her  fearlessness  and  gentleness  and  youth.  And,  in 
deed,  if  need  be,  I  can  do  it  now;  for  fifty  winters 
cannot  so  change  a  man  that  he  should  forget  that. 

But,  such  as  it  is,  here  is  the  story. 


CHAPTER   I 

IN   WHICH,   REVERSING  THE  ORDER  OF   THINGS,   A 
COACH    HOLDS   UP   A    HORSEMAN 

'A  •  A  IS  a  simple  tale,  yet  not  an  uneventful  one. 
And  as  I  sit  here  and  bite  the  end  of  my  quill, 
JL  I  can  see  again  a  dirty  night  in  '80,  thirty 
years  ago,  a  warm,  late  September  evening  with  the 
fine  rain  tumbling  down  on  the  leaves  of  the  trees 
that  bordered  the  road.  The  pattering  drops,  the 
thump  of  Roger's  hoofs  as  he  kept  on  his  steady  gait 
with  bowed  head  and  bedraggled  mane,  the  occa 
sional  loom  of  a  big  maple,  and  the  sense  of  wretched 
ness  and  loneliness  were  the  only  sounds  and  thoughts 
that  came  to  my  consciousness. 

Yet  back  of  it  all  was  that  constant  watchfulness 
that,  young  as  I  was,  I  had  learned  always  to  have  by 
me,  —  a  lesson  common  to  all  who  had  served  with 
General  Putnam  for  a  year  or  two.  The  vigorous 
old  man  had  given  me  many  a  parting  caution  as  he 
shook  me  heartily  by  the  hand,  telling  me  to  have  a 
care  of  this  Hudson  River  country  and  of  the  wild 
thieves  that  broke  out  with  fine  impartiality  upon 
colonial  and  king's  soldiers  alike.  And  thus  I  had 
ridden  out  of  Connecticut  and  turned  up  the  river  in 
the  midst  of  the  silent,  gloomy  September  rain. 


?     NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *     5 

It  must  have  been  eight  or  nine  o'clock,  for  dark 
ness  comes  on  early  in  such  a  country  on  such  a 
night,  and  I  had  had  many  an  anxious  quarter  of 
an  hour  since  nightfall  looking  for  the  tavern  that, 
according  to  my  information,  should  be  about  here 
anywhere. 

Suddenly  I  became  aware  of  a  light  ahead  in  the 
middle  of  the  road,  evidently  not  from  any  tavern 
window,  but  from  an  ordinary  coach  lantern,  moving 
here  and  there  so  strangely  that  instinctively  Roger 
slowed  up,  and  allowed  me  to  guide  him  in  under  the 
trees  to  one  side. 

A  moment's  observation  showed  me  a  huge  and, 
so  far  as  could  be  told  in  that  light,  fine  family  coach 
tilted  at  such  an  unnatural  angle  that  I  perceived  it 
to  be  in  distress.  Two  men  were  at  work  upon  the 
wheel,  or  rather  standing  about  examining  it,  and, 
nothing  appearing  amiss,  I  rode  up  quietly  and  asked 
them  what  had  befallen  them. 

"  Misery  enough,"  growled  a  churlish  voice  in  reply. 
"  Here  we  be  stranded  in  the  country  with  never  a 
nail  nor  strap  to  help  us." 

I  liked  not  his  tone  nor  his  manner,  and  probably 
showed  as  much  in  my  reply,  for  he  straightened,  and 
I  saw  him  feel  at  his  belt. 

"  That  is  not  much,  you  say,  do  you  ?  "  he  cried. 
"  And  do  you  think  that  all?  " 

"  Tut,  tut,  my  friend.  Take  your  hand  from  your 
belt  and  tell  me  what  have  you  inside." 

"  God  knows !  "  he  answered  with  renewed  wrath. 
"  A  witch,  a  woman,  the  devil,  perhaps ;  "  and  added, 


6     *     NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —     v 

"  Settle  your  head  well  on  your  shoulders  before  you 
go  nigh  to  that  door !  " 

As  I  approached  the  coach,  a  hooded  head  appeared 
at  the  window,  and  a  high  girlish  voice  said  in  a  strain 
just  betwixt  uncontrollable  anger  and  tears : 

l(  You  wretched  men,  cannot  something  be  done  ? 
Am  I  to  die  here  in  this  dreadful  night?  Who  are 
you,  sir  ?  " 

"  A  wanderer,  madam,  at  your  service,"  I  answered. 

"  Thank  God  for  a  human  voice  with  some  temper 
to  it,"  she  cried.  "  Can  you  not  whip  these  churls 
into  doing  something,  sir?" 

I  could  not  fail  to  notice  even  then  that,  afraid 
though  she  might  be,  anger  controlled  her  more  than 
fear. 

"  The  case  is  not  so  bad,  mistress,  as  you  think.  We 
cannot  be  more  than  a  mile  from  Gowan's  Tavern, 
which  stands  hereabouts." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  get  there?  " 

"  If  you  could  mount  my  horse,  we  would  make  it 
in  a  short  time,  with  only  a  little  worse  wetting." 

Thereupon  without  reason  the  note  changed. 

"  I  cannot !  I  cannot !  "  said  she  with  tears  in  her 
voice. 

"  If  you  will  trust  to  me  —  " 

"  And  who  are  you  ?  "  she  cried  suddenly.  "  I  do 
not  know  you." 

Somewhat  nettled  at  these  abrupt  changes  of  man 
ner,  I  was  guilty  of  pique.  Wherefore,  answering  that 
I  had  but  tried  to  offer  her  help,  I  made  as  if  to  move 
pn. 


*     NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *     7 

"  Wait !  Wait !  In  God's  name,  sir,  would  you 
leave  me  here  in  such  a  wilderness  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  I  would  not,  mistress,  but  it  appears  you 
do  not  wish  my  help." 

Thereupon  the  door  opened,  and  a  chit  of  a  creature 
in  a  black  hood  and  long  cape  stepped  out  and  down 
into  nearly  a  foot  of  mud. 

I  was  off  Roger  in  an  instant,  and  by  her  side. 

"  Forgive  me,  young  lady ;  I  was  as  rude  as  your 
men.  Come,  the  thing  is  not  so  bad ; "  and  without 
more  ado,  for,  to  tell  gospel  truth,  the  thought  of  her 
little  feet  in  that  oozing  mud  gave  me  confidence,  I 
picked  her  up  as  if  she  had  been  a  baby  and  set  her 
on  old  Roger's  back. 

"  And  do  you  two  men  unhitch  the  horses  and  lead 
them  on  after  us  to  the  tavern,"  I  added. 

The  havoc  created  by  the  mud  was  evident  enough 
now,  for  as  I  led  my  horse  by  the  lantern  I  could  see 
a  tiny  shoe  that  once  had  had  a  bright  silver  buckle. 
But  its  shimmer  was  dim  now  under  the  dripping 
yellow  mud,  and,  as  far  as  I  could  see,  the  same  clay 
covered  what  must  have  been  a  black  silk  stocking. 
Then  in  a  moment  I  had  led  Roger  out  of  the  light 
and  up  the  road. 

Here  was  a  pretty  mess.  What  would  the  general 
say  to  his  emissary  to  the  Commander-in-Chief,  so 
carefully  cautioned  to  avoid  any  embarrassment,  to 
steer  clear  of  aught  that  might  embroil  him  in  de 
lays  ?  What  would  he  say  to  me  now,  trudging  along 
on  this  wretched  night,  the  rain  falling  and  the  mud 
rising,  leading  a  horse  that  bore  a  burden  dropped 


8     *     NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —     * 

from  I  knew  not  where  and  clogging  my  progress  in 
this  ridiculous  fashion?  The  thought  of  the  rain 
made  me  turn  instinctively,  and,  taking  my  cape  coat 
from  my  back,  lean  up  and  throw  it  over  my  com 
panion's  shoulders.  But  it  had  no  sooner  touched  her 
than  she  cried  out: 

"  I  will  not  wear  it !  You  need  it,  and  I  have  a 
thick  cape." 

"You  will  be  drenched  to  the  skin  in  no  time,"  I 
said  firmly,  as  I  held  it  in  place. 

"  If  you  do  not  take  it  instantly,  sir,  I  will  throw 
it  in  the  mud,"  she  answered. 

I  walked  along  without  a  word.  It  seemed  that 
this  little  baggage  had  the  power  to  irritate  me  be 
yond  measure. 

"  Will  you  take  it  ?  "  she  cried,  in  a  vibrant  voice. 

"  No,  I  will  not,"  I  exclaimed,  in  quite  as  defiant  a 
tone. 

"  Oh,  very  well ! "  said  she,  and  therewith  tossed 
my  best,  my  only  coat  into  the  Tarrytown  mire,  as  if 
it  had  been  the  peel  of  an  orange. 

I  stopped  a  moment  with  anger  that  was  on  the 
point  of  bursting  forth.  Then  I  stooped,  picked  up 
the  coat,  threw  it  over  my  shoulders,  and  strode  up 
to  Roger's  head,  walking  on  in  silence.  God  knows 
I  knew  little  or  nothing  of  women,  never  having  seen 
many,  never  having  known  any  well,  for  my  mother 
had  died  when  I  was  a  boy,  and  sisters  had  I 
none.  But  I  never  suspected  women  of  such  be 
haviour  as  this,  and  the  knowledge  was  anything  but 
pleasant. 


*     NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —     *     9 

I  would  then  and  there  gladly  have  left  her  alone 
with  Roger  if  I  had  dared.  What  was  I  to  do  ?  What 
could  I  do  on  arrival  at  the  tavern?  And  then  my 
thoughts  turned  to  discover  the  method  I  should  pur 
sue  to  get  rid  of  my  strange  burden.  I  would  wait 
until  the  arrival  of  her  servants  and  then  leave,  go  on 
to  some  other  point,  bad  night  as  it  was  —  anything 
to  get  myself  up  towards  Fishkill  and  alone. 

Here  was  I,  Merton  Balfort,  of  Putnam's  division, 
walking  up  the  Hudson  River,  leading  a  bedraggled 
woman  in  the  worst  of  nights  to  a  mythical  inn,  which 
might  not  exist  at  all  for  aught  I  knew,  in  a  country 
overrun  with  Skinners  —  I,  on  a  mission  to  General 
Washington,  the  importance  of  which  I  could  only 
gather  from  Putnam's  instructions  when  he  gave  me 
the  letter  and  told  me  how  much  speed  and  sagacity 
meant. 

"Is  it  very  muddy?" 

I  could  scarcely  recognise  the  voice,  it  had  so 
changed.  All  the  tears,  all  the  fear,  seemed  to  have 
disappeared,  and  in  their  place  something  strange, 
very  strange,  had  come. 

"  Oh,  no,  madam ;  the  road  is  clear  as  a  floor,  and 
the  sun  is  fast  drying  up  my  wet  clothes,"  I  answered, 
too  angry,  too  worried,  to  be  even  civil. 

I  heard  a  slight  sound  as  of  the  sudden  drawing  in 
of  breath,  but  no  other  response  came  as  we  moved 
slowly  on,  until  at  a  bend  of  the  road  we  came  sud 
denly  upon  the  tavern,  as  the  creaking  sign  over  the 
door  designated  —  a  small,  common-looking  house 
rambling  off  against  the  side  of  a  hill  in  as  forsaken 


io    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

and  silent  a  spot  as  ever  villain  selected  for  foul  deed. 
There  was  nothing  for  it,  however,  but  to  alight,  and 
in  a  moment,  with  neither  word  nor  look,  she  had 
slipped  off  Roger's  back  and  walked  straight  into  the 
main  room  of  the  hostelry,  and  I  after  her. 


CHAPTER   II 

IN   WHICH   THE   WORLD   ENDS   FOR  ONE   MAN   AND 
BEGINS  FOR  ANOTHER 

THE  scene  that  met  our  gaze  as  we  got  through 
the  door  was  anything  but  consoling.    In  fact, 
my  companion  drew  back  against  me  as  she 
entered,  and  instinctively  grasped  my  arm.     For  the 
room,  which  at  best  was  about  what  might  have  been 
expected  from  the  exterior  of  the  house,   was  now 
filled  with  the  fumes  of  foul  tobacco;   and  the  long, 
low  ceiling  was  black  with  the  smoke  of  lamps  that 
spluttered  and  smelt  till  the  atmosphere  turned  the 
gorge. 

At  one  end  burned  a  fire  in  a  huge  fireplace.  Two 
or  three  common  tables  were  in  the  room,  and  around 
one  of  these  half  a  dozen  men  stood  holding  their 
mugs  high  in  the  air  as  they  reeled  about  and  sang 
in  drunken  discord: 

"  For  he  's  a  cho-1-l-y  good /*•/-!  o-o-w  1 
F'r  he 's  a  cho-1-l-y  good/?/-lo-o-w  1 
F'r  he  's  a  cho-1-l-y  good  tz\-z\o-o-o-o-w, 
As  no-body  ca-an  de-e-ny-y-y  !  " 

It  was  clear  enough  that  the  jolly  good  fellow  on 
this  occasion  was  a  wretched  lump  of  clay  lying  in  a 
most  inhuman  posture  under  the  table.  At  the  far 
ther  end  of  the  room  stood  a  bench,  which,  from  the 


12     *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

bottles  upon  it,  was  evidently  the  bar,  and  behind  this 
leaned  the  tavern-keeper,  thumping  out  the  time  with 
a  pewter  mug. 

As  the  company  appeared  to  take  not  the  slightest 
notice  of  us,  but  continued  to  celebrate  the  virtues  of 
their  for  the  time  departed  friend,  I  led  my  compan 
ion  over  to  the  fireplace,  drew  up  a  stool  for  her,  and 
bade  her  sit  quietly  for  the  double  purpose  of  drying 
her  clothing  and  avoiding  any  unnecessary  attention 
from  the  other  occupants  of  the  room.  Then,  still 
moving  quietly,  I  approached  the  landlord,  and,  with 
many  a  misgiving,  asked  him  for  some  sort  of  food 
and  drink. 

"  Aye,  food  there  is  none,"  cried  he ;  "  but  you  can 
drink  yourself  to  death,  an  you  will,  my  friend." 

And  forthwith  he  pointed  to  a  row  of  ale  kegs. 

"  Listen  to  me,  landlord,"  said  I  sternly.  "  I  have 
a  lady  here,  and  she  must  have  food  and  lodging  this 
night  —  " 

I  got  no  further,  for  he  began  thumping  upon  his 
bar  and  shouted  to  the  revellers: 

"  Hi,  boys,  look  here !  What  in  hell's  name  do  ye 
now !  Stop  yer  screaming  and  howling !  Do  yer  not 
see  there  's  gentry  present  ?  " 

The  noise  ceased  in  a  moment,  and  the  company 
stood  looking  at  the  tavern-keeper,  and  then,  follow 
ing  the  line  of  his  finger,  all  turned  like  automatons 
to  where  the  girl  sat  bending  over  the  fire.  I  had  an 
instant  to  study  them  closer,  and  became  aware,  as 
one  will  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  that  one  of  the 
company  appeared  to  be  of  a  better  sort.  He  wore 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *     13 

top-boots  and  riding  breeks  and  a  swallow-tail  coat, 
befouled  with  mud,  and  by  his  side  hung  a  long 
sword.  Another  was  a  sombre,  long-faced  country 
man,  while  the  rest  appeared  to  be  clowns,  that  are 
alike  whether  in  town  or  country  the  world  over. 

The  silence  lasted  but  an  instant,  and  then  he  of 
the  riding  boots  straightened  himself  and  cried  out: 

"  Why,  you  whelps  of  Satan,  do  you  not  know  a 
lady  has  graced  our  board  ?  "  And,  as  I  sidled  over 
to  the  fireplace,  he  rolled  this  way  and  that,  and 
finally  came  close  to  her  as  she  turned  to  look  at 
him. 

"  Madam,"  said  he,  as  he  started  to  make  a  pro 
found  bow  with  a  sweep  of  his  pewter  mug,  sending 
a  thin  line  of  ale  in  a  circle  over  the  floor,  "  mad'm, 
I  s'lute  ye  —  " 

But  the  bow  was  too  much  for  him,  and  he  stumbled 
over  his  own  feet,  and  fell  at  hers.  The  quick  turn  of 
her  head,  as  she  stepped  back  from  him,  threw  her 
hood  back  on  her  hair,  and  then  I  saw  her  face  for 
the  first  time. 

What  a  face  it  was !  I  shall  never  forget  it,  never ! 
I  could  not  describe  it;  for  it  seemed  then  all  eyes 
and  wavy  brown  hair,  and  a  small  mouth,  that  had 
more  of  scorn  in  it  than  I  could  have  believed  pos 
sible  in  any  human  feature.  Beautiful?  Aye,  that  it 
was,  white  now  as  snow,  in  its  frame  of  dark  hair  and 
darker  hood.  But  I  know  not  what  devilish  influence 
the  face  had  on  me,  for,  as  the  man  struggled  to  his 
feet,  she  gave  him  a  slow  look,  and  then,  turning  to 
me,  said  quietly,  with  contempt  in  her  voice: 


i4    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

"  Will  you  not  protect  me,  sir  ?  " 

And  I,  without  hesitation,  struck  the  fool  in  his  face 
with  my  closed  fist  and  sent  him  rolling  over  himself 
against  the  wall. 

'T  was  a  foolhardy  thing  to  do,  and  I  knew  it  before 
I  had  finished.  For,  no  sooner  was  he  down,  than  a 
howl  set  up  from  the  others,  as  they  made  for  us. 
There  was  but  time  to  push  one  of  the  long  tables  be 
tween  us  and  to  draw  my  rapier,  when  the  crew  was 
at  the  other  side  of  the  low  barrier. 

Yet  then  I  felt  more  tranquil  than  I  had  since  en 
tering  the  tavern;  for  the  affair  was  taking  on  the 
look  of  a  fight,  and  I  had  been  in  so  many,  large  and 
small,  of  late,  that  there  was  a  certain  familiarity  to 
it,  and  it  put  me  more  at  my  ease.  I  turned  the  pistol 
out  of  the  nearest  man's  hand  with  my  point,  and  got 
the  girl  behind  me,  when  the  leader  (for  so  he  was) 
got  upon  his  feet,  purple  with  rage,  and  roared: 

"  Stop  there !  The  man  has  insulted  me !  Stop ! 
This  is  not  for  you,  clowns !  Clear  away  here ! " 
And  with  a  soberness  I  had  little  expected,  he  scat 
tered  them  to  either  side,  and,  leaning  his  hands  on 
the  table,  spluttered  in  my  teeth: 

"  You,  sir !  You  have  struck  me  in  the  face !  Are 
ye  a  coward,  or  will  ye  settle  this  here  now  ?  " 

"  Nothing  could  be  better,"  I  answered.  Indeed, 
nothing  at  that  moment  could  have  been  better,  for  it 
quieted  the  others,  or  else  in  a  moment  we  had  both 
been  dead,  or  one  of  us  worse.  "  Nothing  could  be 
better,"  I  repeated ;  "  but  I  will  not  stir  from  here, 
unless  you  make  it  a  fair  fight  and  give  me  fair  play." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    15 

"  Never  fear,  my  fine  gentleman !  I  '11  give  ye  fair 
play  enough,  and  a  foot  of  good  steel  to  the  bargain ! 
Here,  you,  Gowan,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  tavern- 
keeper,  who  seemed  to  be  surprisingly  sober,  of  a 
sudden,  too,  "  push  away  these  tables,  and  you,  my 
friends,  if  one  of  you  does  aught  to  interfere,  I  '11 
blow  out  his  brains !  "  And  he  tapped  a  brace  of 
pistols  in  his  belt. 

They  obeyed  him  like  lambs  and  set  to  work,  push 
ing  the  chairs  and  tables  against  the  walls  of  the 
room,  while  two  dragged  the  "  jolly  good  fellow  "  by 
the  shoulders  under  the  bar.  So  much  will  a  serious 
fight  do  to  cool  the  wine-heated  brains  of  men  in  such 
riotous  times  as  these.  For  my  part,  I  turned  to  the 
girl,  to  find  her  looking  up  at  me  with  undisguised 
fright  in  her  eyes. 

"  Keep  close  by  the  fire,"  said  I  quickly ;  "  there  is 
naught  to  fear  "  —  though  there  was  enough  and  to 
spare.  For  what  might  happen  when  I  had  settled 
this  one,  I  could  not  tell. 

A  strange  little  smile  passed  over  her  face  at  what 
I  had  said,  and  then  she  answered: 

"  I  will.    But  can  you  fight?  " 

Now,  I  do  not  know  why  it  should,  but  it  did,  cut 
me  to  have  such  a  question  flung  at  me  as  I  was  on 
the  point  of  going  into  a  struggle  that  she  alone  had 
brought  upon  me.  It  might  have  seemed  that  she 
could  think  of  some  one  but  herself  at  such  a  mo 
ment;  %but,  as  I  have  said,  I  do  not  understand  the 
working  of  a  woman's  mind.  So  that,  whatever  I 
may  have  thought,  I  only  said: 


16     *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  We  shall  soon  see,  mistress,  and  for  your  sake, 
at  least,  I  can  but  try." 

She  looked  straight  into  my  face  again  for  a  mo 
ment,  and  then  moved  over  to  the  fireplace  without 
a  word. 

"  Now,  then,  sir,  are  you  ready  ?  "  asked  my  man, 
and  I  answered  by  moving  into  the  middle  of  the  now 
cleared  room.  I  liked  it  not  in  any  way.  The  lights 
were  bad.  At  best  'twas  but  a  fog,  and  a  man  can 
not  be  blamed  for  wishing  a  good  light  to  watch  his 
enemy's  eye.  To  one  side  of  the  room  I  could  see  five 
thievish-looking  knaves  standing  together,  and  what  I 
might  expect  of  them  at  any  moment  could  not  be 
guessed. 

Then,  too,  good  swordsman  as  I  was  —  and  't  is 
no  conceit  that  makes  me  say  so,  for  I  had  had  three 
years  of  work  by  day  and  night,  and  half  a  dozen 
before  them  of  constant  practice  with  my  father, 
Captain  Balfort,  of  the  Indian  wars  —  but,  good 
swordsman  as  I  might  be,  no  fight  is  a  surety,  and 
I  knew  nothing  of  my  antagonist,  excepting  that  he 
was  partly  under  the  influence  of  liquor.  If  I  fell, 
what  might  not  become  of  the  girl,  what  might  not 
the  papers  in  my  boot  mean  to  him,  and  those  to 
whom  he  belonged.  And  it  soon  appeared  to  whom 
he  belonged,  for  he  crossed  my  sword  at  once,  saying  : 

"  And  now  for  myself  and  for  the  king  !  Watch 
out,  you  bastard,  for  I  am  the  best  of  men  to  play 
with  this  tool !  " 

And,  indeed,  he  was  a  master  hand.  I  could  tell 
at  the  first  thrust  that  he  was  better  than  I,  and  had 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    17 

he  been  empty  of  liquor,  this  tale  and  my  own  life 
had  ended  there  and  then  in  that  dirty  room.  He 
was  inside  my  guard  a  dozen  times  in  the  first  two 
minutes,  as  we  circled  round  each  other,  playing  con 
stantly  for  the  light  of  a  single  lantern  that  hung 
over  the  outer  door. 

Still,  I  was  growing  calmer,  and  had  begun  to 
gauge  him  better  when  he  slipped  over  my  thrust 
and  ripped  the  shoulder  of  my  coat  with  a  sudden 
and  a  true  stroke.  Then,  on  the  instant,  I  heard  a 
stifled  cry;  and,  glancing  by  his  head,  I  saw  the 
girl  standing  by  the  fire,  leaning  forward,  her  hands 
nervously  clasped  together  at  her  throat,  her  hood 
down  upon  her  shoulders,  and  a  look  of  terror  in  her 
eyes. 

"  Ah,"  said  the  wretch,  "  my  lady  whimpers,  does 
she?  Fear  not,  I'll  give  her  comfort  when  thou  hast 
gone  to  hell." 

'T  was  a  spur  that  made  me  mad  to  think  on,  real 
ising  as  I  did  that  he  had  all  but  done  for  me  that 
moment,  and  I  went  at  him  with  every  thrust  and 
stroke  I  knew,  beating  his  rapier  till  the  room  sang 
with  the  blows.  But  I  could  not  touch  him.  He 
was  a  marvellous  good  hand,  and  no  mistake;  for 
he  gave  ground  till  I  had  him  with  his  foot  at  the 
other  wall,  but  not  once  did  I  get  inside  his  guard. 

"  Keep  your  hounds  in  their  place,"  I  cried,  be 
tween  my  fast-coming  breath ;  for  the  men,  whether 
from  interest  or  with  some  foul  design,  had  gathered 
closer  to  us. 

"  Stand  off,  you  fools !  "  he  cried  in  answer.  "  Do 
2 


1 8     *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

ye  not  see  I  have  him  pinked  already?  Look  ye  at 
that  —  and  that  —  and  that !  "  And  he  broke  away 
from  the  wall,  and  pressed  me  as  I  had  never  been 
pressed  before,  nor  wish  to  be  again.  Once  he 
touched  me  above  the  wrist,  and  I  could  feel  the  warm 
blood  running  down  into  my  sword  hand.  This 
was  no  country  lout,  in  good  earnest,  and  I  knew 
then  that  I  had  to  do  with  some  British  officer  with 
out  his  uniform. 

Another  stifled  cry  came  from  the  direction  of  the 
fireplace,  sounding  clear  in  the  silent  room,  and  a 
smile  played  over  the  man's  mouth,  as  he  muttered: 

"  Now  one  for  the  king !  "  And  he  drew  a  little 
away  from  me.  I  stood  my  ground  and  let  him  go. 
And  as  I  took  a  breath  or  two  to  catch  my  wind,  and 
brushed  my  left  hand  across  my  eyes  to  wipe  away  the 
sweat,  I  cried  at  him  out  of  the  bitterness  of  my 
heart: 

"  Damn  you  and  your  king,  for  villainous  knaves ! 
Come,  are  ye  afraid,  that  ye  draw  away  ? " 

Before  I  had  well  finished  a  look  came  into  his  eyes 
as  he  stooped,  and  then,  with  only  the  thought  of 
saving  myself  from  a  thrust  I  did  not  know,  I 
jumped  to  the  right  and  thrust  my  sword  straight 
out  at  him. 

He  had  not  counted  on  the  quarts  he  had  drunk, 
and  the  stooping  posture  must  have  affected  his 
balance;  for  he  lunged  beyond  his  power  to  recover, 
and,  as  he  half  fell,  half  thrust  by  me,  his  blade 
went  through  the  tail  of  my  coat,  and  my  own  passed 
clean  through  the  top  of  his  left  shoulder. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    ¥    19 

Down  he  went,  carrying  my  sword  with  him,  and 
a  howl  set  up  from  the  men. 

"  A  foul  blow !  A  foul  blow !  "  they  cried,  and 
I  had  but  time  to  pull  my  rapier  away  when  they 
were  upon  me.  The  first  to  come  caught  my  fist  on 
his  nose  and  rolled  away  with  a  groan  of  pain,  but 
in  an  instant  the  others  had  me  down.  'T  was  a 
wretched  scramble  of  a  fight,  one  against  four,  and 
I  kicked  and  struck  out  and  cursed  them  all  for 
cowards,  when  on  a  sudden  the  officer's  voice  sounded 
high  above  the  others,  and  with  his  one  good  arm  and 
the  tavern-keeper's  assistance,  he  pulled  the  crowd  off. 

I  jumped  to  my  feet,  dazed  and  nearly  mad  with 
anger,  to  receive  a  tap  on  my  shoulder  from  the  flat 
of  his  sword. 

"  Ye  Jve  not  finished  with  me,  my  friend !  Have 
ye  had  enough  ?  " 

"I?  You  British  spy!  I  had  enough?  I '11  send 
your  poor  soul  to  hell  before  I  've  had  enough !  " 

"  Good !  "  said  he.  "  Good !  'T  is  a  proper  spirit ! 
But  hell  waits  for  others  than  me  to-night ;  "  and 
he  was  at  me  again  with  the  blood  running  down 
the  soaked  sleeve  of  his  left  arm,  that  swung  aim 
lessly  at  his  side.  The  man  was  game  beyond  a 
doubt,  and  a  strange  respect  for  him  crept  over  me, 
cooling  my  brain  and  giving  me  a  sight  of  what  I 
must  do  to  save  my  own  life. 

Again  he  beat  into  my  guard.  Again  he  pushed 
me  to  the  wall.  But  I  was  cooling  down,  and  he 
could  not  stand  the  terrible  strain.  If  I  could  but 
hold  him  off,  his  heavy  drinking  would  sap  his 


20    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

strength  before  mine  began  to  fail,  and  with  that  new 
heart  came  to  me,  and  I  smiled  on  him  as  he  worked 
to  touch  me. 

That,  and  the  knowledge  of  his  failing  strength, 
goaded  him  in  a  tender  spot,  and  he  lost  his  temper 
and  his  easy  air.  I  could  hear  him  mutter  a  soft  curse 
now  and  then,  and  the  cool  smile  was  gone.  Then  I 
tried  again  a  dodging  thrust  that  had  met  a  wall  of 
cold  steel  earlier  in  the  fight. 

Waiting  till  he  prepared  a  thrust  of  his  own,  I 
parried  with  a  too  waving  motion,  and  swung  my 
blade  far  out  to  the  right.  He  saw  the  lost  guard 
at  once,  but  saw  too  late  how  I  drew  in  my  arm  and 
turned  the  point  at  his  breast.  I  dropped  on  both 
knees  as  his  rapier  passed  close  by  my  head,  and  he 
literally  spitted  himself  on  mine,  falling  heavily  on 
me  without  a  sound. 

Knowing  what  would  come,  I  rolled  him  over,  and, 
jumping  up,  drew  both  pistols,  and  stood  looking 
about  the  room,  which,  through  my  blurred  eyes, 
showed  me  what  seemed  to  be  a  hundred  faces. 

"  The  next  will  die  sooner,"  I  cried.  "  Which 
shall  it  be?  Which  shall  it  be?  Will  ye  not  come, 
none  of  you  ?  Ah !  " 

And  then,  seeing  some  one  rushing  towards  me,  I 
levelled  the  pistol  straight  at  his  head,  raising  my 
eyebrows  to  get  a  clearer  look,  when,  God  help  me, 
I  had  like  to  have  shot  the  girl ! 

"You  are  hurt,"  said  she  softly.  "Where?  Where 
is  it?"  and,  looking  up  at  me  with  eyes  that  were 
filled  with  tears,  she  took  my  right  wrist  and  turned 


¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    21 

back  the  sleeve.  'T  was  but  a  scratch,  but  his  point 
had  touched  a  vein  and  let  out  a  deal  of  blood,  and 
I  saw  her  sway  at  the  sight. 

"  Have  a  care,"  I  said  quickly ;  "  they  are  coming ;  " 
but  she  stirred  not  a  step,  and  proceeded  to  wipe  away 
the  blood  from  my  arm.  And  then,  growing  cooler, 
I  saw  the  tavern-keeper  warily  stepping  forward,  bow 
ing  and  apologising  and  keeping  a  sharp  watch  on  my 
two  pistols. 

"  T  is  over,  sir.  The  men  here  will  not  break  their 
word  "  —  a  fine  thing  was  their  word,  to  be  sure  — 
"  but  the  gentleman  is  dying,  sir." 

For  the  first  time  I  looked  at  him.  He  lay  just  as 
I  had  rolled  him  over,  but  any  one  could  see  that  he 
breathed  heavily  still. 

"  Here,  you,  Jim,"  said  Gowan.  "  You  know 
some'at  of  such  things.  Is  he  dead  ?  " 

The  sallow-faced  countryman  stepped  over  and 
straightened  out  the  body,  keeping  a  careful  eye  the 
while  on  my  pistol,  as  my  companion  swiftly  and 
gently  bound  her  handkerchief  above  the  cut  and 
stopped  a  part  of  the  flow.  Then  she  as  gently 
pushed  me  on  to  a  stool  by  the  table  and  stood  with 
her  hand  unconsciously  resting  on  my  shoulder  as  the 
countryman  ripped  up  the  officer's  jacket  and  bared  the 
wound. 

"Tis  beyond  me,"  said  he  finally.  "Ye  can  do 
naught  but  wash  it  with  clean  water  and  wait." 

"  Take  him  into  the  other  room  here,"  said 
Gowan,  and  three  of  them  picked  him  up  and  carried 
him  into  the  inner  part  of  the  tavern. 


CHAPTER   III 

IN    WHICH    IT   APPEARS   THAT  THERE   IS   MORE    THAN 
ONE   REASON   FOR   MATRIMONY 

I  WAS  unable  to  do  aught.  In  truth,  I  could 
not  move,  and  so  I  sat  there  like  a  sick  fool, 
never  stirring,  except  once  to  look  up  at  my  com 
panion,  and  find  her  looking  at  me  steadfastly;  but 
I  could  not  say  a  word.  And  yet  I  could  see  the  men 
who  had  returned  growing  more  and  more  confident, 
as  those  who  had  carried  the  wounded  officer  away 
talked  in  low  tones  to  the  others.  But  the  minutes 
gave  me  my  wind  and  brought  back  some  of  my 
nerve,  and  then  they  came  on  with  set  faces. 

I  stood  up  and  grasped  my  pistols,  but  in  that 
moment  the  girl  stepped  forward  with  her  head  up 
and  as  proud  an  air  as  ever  chicken  had  against  mail 
coach. 

"  What  do  you  wish  ?  "  she  asked  quietly. 

"  We  want  that  man !  He  has  killed  one  of  us, 
and  —  " 

"  One  of  you,  you  clowns  ?  "  I  cried,  taking  her  by 
the  shoulder  and  setting  her  aside.  "  He  is  no  more 
of  you  than  I  am !  " 

"  Who  are  ye,  then  ?  "  cried  the  spokesman.  "  And 
[What  do  ye  here?  We  do  not  like  the  look  of  ye,  and 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    23 

ye  shall  go  no  further  till  ye  settle  with  us  and  tell 
us  who  ye  may  be." 

It  was  no  drunken  crew  that  spoke  now,  and  I  knew 
it.  They  had  made  up  their  minds,  and  I  was  too 
weak  to  try  to  cope  with  four  men.  They  seemed  to 
be  natives  hereabouts,  and  I  must  take  my  chances  of 
their  being  Colonials  by  sentiment  as  well  as  birth. 
There  was  naught  else  to  do. 

"  I  am  an  American  soldier,"  I  said,  "  travelling 
north  alone,  and  you  have  no  more  to  do  with  me 
than  with  the  river  outside  the  door." 

"  I  knew  it !  "  cried  the  man,  and  the  others  began 
to  surround  us.  "  Ye  rebel  bastard,  ye  Ve  struck 
the  wrong  gang!  Travelling  alone,  eh?  And  what 
is  this  baggage  here  with  ye  ?  " 

"  She?  "  said  I,  stumped  again.     "  Why,  she  —  " 

"  I  am  his  sweetheart,"  said  the  girl,  stepping  before 
me  again.  Then  she  went  on  in  an  earnest  way  that 
finally  became  plaintive :  "  We  have  run  away  to  be 
married.  Will  you  not  help  us  to  make  merry? 
We  Ve  but  just  escaped  from  New  York.  Indeed, 
we  have!  You  can  see  our  coach  broken  down  in 
the  road  not  a  hundred  yards  from  here  —  you  can, 
indeed,  sirs ! " 

Her  breath  was  coming  fast,  but  she  went  on  with 
excited  earnestness  that  caught  the  men :  "  Our  coach 
boys  will  be  here  shortly  with  the  horses.  You  can 
see  the  coach  if  you  will  but  go  down  the  road !  He 
does  not  tell  the  truth !  He  is  no  rebel !  T  is  not  so, 
good  sirs!  Will  you  not  drink  a  bumper  to  the  king 
and  to  our  honeymoon  ?  " 


24    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  -       * 

I  could  not  say  a  word.  I  could  do  naught  but  stare 
open-mouthed  at  her,  for,  with  the  skill  of  intuition, 
she  had  hit  the  one  point  —  would  they  not  drink  a 
bumper  to  us  —  would  they?  The  one  thing  to  win 
them  over!  Then  I  caught  her  arm.  What  was  she 
doing  ?  'T  was  a  foolish  and  a  futile  plan. 

"  See,  sirs,  you  see  he  tries  to  make  me  deny  it ! 
But  I  will  not.  You  would  not  injure  a  good  soldier 
of  his  majesty,  would  you?  And  you  will  drink  to 
our  health  and  happiness.  Mr.  Landlord,  will  you 
not  fill  us  up  mugs  of  ale  to  drink  the  toast  ?  "  And 
she  stepped  back,  and  took  my  arm  with  a  hand  that 
shook  like  a  leaf,  though  her  eyes  never  wavered 
from  the  men  she  addressed. 

"  By  God !  'T  is  a  brave  wench,"  cried  one  of  the 
men.  "  And  a  health  it  shall  be !  " 

"  Stay,"  said  another,  a  huge  clout,  who  was  no 
more  a  Britisher  than  I.  "  I  do  not  believe  it !  He 
called  our  friend  in  there  a  British  spy.  Dost  know 
that?" 

"But  I  say  she  shall  have  the  health,"  cried  the 
other.  "  Jack  Purdy,  ye  have  no  soul  in  ye !  Can 
ye  not  see  the  girl  tells  the  truth  ?  " 

"  Aye,  look  at  him,"  said  a  third ;  "  he  's  a  shame 
faced  bridegroom !  " 

"We'll  do  it  in  shape,"  said  the  first.  "Here 
you,  Gowan  "  —  to  the  landlord  —  "  tell  Jim  Marvin 
to  come  in  here.  Now,  mistress,  to  you  and  your 
happiness ! " 

"  To  you !  "  chorused  the  crowd.  And  we  two 
stood  there,  the  shaking  arm  in  mine,  the  brave  eyes 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    25 

smiling  a  forced  smile,  but  looking  the  men  in  the 
face,  as  she  raised  the  filthy  pewter  to  her  lips  and 
touched  the  ale.  The  devil  himself  could  not  make 
me  drink,  till  I  bethought  me  of  another  toast,  and, 
turning  to  her,  drained  the  cup  without  a  word. 

The  sombre  individual,  who  it  appeared  was  Marvin, 
now  entered ;  and  I  watched  them  confer  with  him. 
A  laugh  broke  from  his  tipsy  lips,  and  he  muttered: 
"  'T  would  be  a  good  close !  Here  am  I  saving  one 
man's  life,  and  now  paving  the  way  for  the  making 
of  others."  And  still  we  two  stood  there,  waiting, 
neither  looking  nor  speaking  to  the  other. 

"  So  it  shall  be !  "  cried  the  big  one  in  a  moment, 
and  instinctively  I  clutched  a  pistol  as  they  all  moved 
over  towards  the  fireplace  near  us. 

"  You  say  ye  've  just  run  away  to  be  married,  do 
you  ?  "  asked  the  man. 

She  nodded. 

"  Very  well,  then,  we  '11  have  the  ceremony  here 
and  now.  Here  's  Marvin,  as  good  at  marrying  as  at 
curing  dead  men,  and  we  '11  have  the  ceremony  and 
celebrate  the  wedding  this  night,  damned  if  we  don't, 
eh,  boys  ?  "  Another  chorus  of  assent  greeted  this. 
But  I  found  my  tongue  at  last. 

"  That  you  shall  not,"  said  I  firmly. 

"  Then  string  him  up  for  a  rebel,  and  we  '11  take 
good  care  of  the  girl !  "  cried  one.  I  broke  away  from 
my  companion  and  levelled  two  muzzles  at  the  near 
est  fellow. 

"  The  first  to  move  is  dead,"  said  I,  hopeless  though 
I  knew  it  was. 


26    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —     v 

"  Tut,  man,  we  '11  punch  you  full  of  holes,  if  you 
talk  like  that,"  said  Marvin,  smiling  with  the  assur 
ance  of  five  to  one.  "  And,  then,  why  should  you  not 
join  us?  What  harm  to  be  married  now,  if  you  have 
run  away  to  be?  And  will  you  have  all  the  fun  to 
yourself?  Nay,  nay/'  he  went  on  in  his  nasal  tone. 
"  You  've  broken  up  our  evening  now,  and  ye  '11  break 
your  own  neck  or  help  us  to  finish  it  in  our  own  way. 
Gowan!  Hey,  Gowan!  Where  is  the  man?  Here," 
he  added,  as  the  tavern-keeper  stuck  his  nose  through 
the  door,  "  bring  us  a  Bible." 

The  door  swung  wide  open. 

"  A  Bible !  "  cried  the  astounded  man. 

"  Aye,  a  Bible." 

"  And  what,  think  ye,  would  I  be  doing  with  a 
Bible?" 

"  God  knows,"  said  the  other.  "  Little  enough. 
But  we  do  not  need  one.  Come,  man  "  —  turning  to 
me  —  "  stand  there." 

I  turned  to  the  girl,  and  she  looked  up  at  me.  I 
read  in  her  face  what  she  saw  in  mine.  We  must  go 
through  with  the  thing,  or  in  half  an  hour  she  would 
be  at  the  mercy  of  these  outlaws. 

"  Why  not,  my  friends  ?  "  she  said,  turning  to  them. 
"  I  cannot  be  married  too  soon.  Else  why  should  I 
have  run  away  from  home  ?  " 

After  all,  the  man  was  no  minister,  and  a  forced 
affair  like  this  could  mean  nothing.  And  so  there, 
in  the  reeking  room,  with  one  man  in  a  stupor  and 
with  five  as  wicked  specimens  of  humanity  as  it  had 
ever  been  my  lot  to  meet,  the  drunken  Marvin  mar- 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    27 

ried  us  in  the  early  morning  hours.  How  the  wretch 
knew  aught  of  the  marriage  service  I  could  not  then 
tell.  But  he  did,  and  we  agreed  by  nods  —  only 
speaking  when  forced  to  —  to  cleave  to  each  other  in 
sickness  and  in  health,  in  good  fortune  and  in  bad, 
till  death  should  us  part. 

When  he  came  to  ask  my  name,  I  hesitated,  and 
was  about  to  give  another,  and  then  —  curse  me  for 
a  careless  beast  —  the  man  called  Purdy  spoke  up, 
reading  from  the  rim  of  my  hat :  "  Balfort." 

And  so  I  gave  my  name. 

"  Mistress,"  said  Marvin,  "  your  name  now." 

"  Deborah  Philipse,"  she  said,  beneath  her  breath, 
and  then  repeated  a  part  of  what  he  dictated,  though 
her  arm  grew  heavier  and  heavier  in  mine  till  my 
wounded  wrist  throbbed  with  pain. 

I  thought  then  it  was  over,  but  he  must  needs  get 
paper  and  ink,  and  write  out  a  blurred  and  rambling 
certificate  that  Merton  Balfort  and  Deborah  Philipse 
were  married  the  iQth  day  of  September,  1780,  by 
James  Marvin,  minister  of  the  gospel;  whereupon 
those  looking  on  roared  with  laughter  at  him  and  his 
solemnity,  and  most  of  all  at  his  signature  that  cov 
ered  half  the  page.  When  he  had  signed,  Purdy  cried 
out: 

"  Now,  a  toast  to  the  bride !  "  and  we  filled  again, 
and  they  drank  and  I  tasted. 

But  Marvin  stood  up,  keeping  his  balance  as  best 
he  could,  and  droned  out  in  mock  solemnity: 

"  Gentlemen,  you  forget.  The  minister  has  not 
had  his  fee." 


28    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

Then,  turning  to  me,  he  said  in  a  wheedling  tone, 
with  a  horse-pistol  pointing  at  me  from  his  right 
hand,  "  You  would  not  forget  the  man  of  God  that 
made  you  the  possessor  of  such  as  this?" 

Indeed,  I  had  not  seen  it  until  that  moment,  nor 
had  it  occurred  to  me  till  then  that  I  had  on  my  first 
night  in  this  country  fallen  in  with  a  gang  of  Skin 
ners.  It  was  clear  enough  now,  and  the  amusement 
they  were  to  have,  and  were  having,  while  robbing 
me  was  of  their  own  devilish  making. 

"  Let  me  pay  the  fee,"  said  the  girl  eagerly,  and, 
drawing  out  a  silken  purse,  she  took  from  it  half  a 
dozen  gold  pieces  —  enough  for  forty  weddings  — 
and  handed  them  to  Marvin,  adding,  "  I  thank  you, 
sir." 

I  could  have  cried  with  rage  at  this  last,  the  sim 
plicity  of  the  girl's  vision,  coupled  with  her  infinite 
skill  in  turning  the  whole  episode  from  a  fight  into  a 
peaceful,  or  rather  harmless,  robbery! 

Marvin  held  the  pieces  in  his  hand,  and  made  a 
wry  face  as  he  leered  at  her. 

"  T  is  but  a  small  sum  for  so  great  a  service,  Mis 
tress  Balfort!" 

"  Why  —  "  said  she,  with  a  vacant  stare,  and  then 
looked  at  me.  Something  must  have  shown  on  my 
face;  for,  with  a  sudden  catching  of  her  hand  at  her 
throat  and  a  falling  of  her  smiling  mask,  she  handed 
him  the  purse  and  turned  away. 

Marvin  counted  out  the  pieces  with  slow  precision, 
and  then  turned  to  his  gang. 

"This  is  but  a  paltry  pair  after  all,"  said  he.    "And 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    29 

never  have  I  had  so  small  a  marriage  fee.  Can  you 
not  help  your  lady  wife  out,  good  sir  ?  "  —  address 
ing  me. 

An  uncontrollable  movement  that  I  made  drew 
four  long  barrels  on  my  head  not  five  feet  away,  and 
with  a  groan  I  threw  him  my  wallet. 

It  held  a  goodly  sum,  and  I  prayed  that  they  might 
forget  to  search  me,  for  what  else  I  had  lay  with  my 
despatches  in  my  boots.  But  a  savage  grunt  from  the 
other  side  of  the  room  saved  us.  Every  eye  turned 
towards  the  sound,  and  we  saw  the  "  jolly  good  fel 
low  "  wriggle  and  sit  up.  He  was  dressed  like  my 
opponent,  and  I  was  watching  him  as  he  struggled 
to  his  feet,  when  a  spasmodic  grasp  clutched  my  arm. 
I  turned  to  see  Mistress  Philipse's  face  close  up  to 
mine  and  abject  terror  written  on  every  feature. 

"  That  man !  That  man !  "  gasped  she.  "  Save  me 
from  him,  in  God's  name !  "  And  —  whether  because 
this  was  the  last  straw,  or  because  of  some  new  and 
greater  danger  from  this  last  addition  to  our  com 
pany,  I  know  not  —  she  leaned  against  me  and  would 
have  fallen  had  I  not  picked  her  up  and  carried  her 
into  the  other  part  of  the  tavern. 

The  door  opened  into  a  hall,  and  from  that  I  turned 
into  the  first  room,  which,  as  often  in  such  houses, 
was  a  bedroom ;  there  I  laid  her  on  the  bed  and  took 
off  her  soaked  shoes.  She  lay  quiet,  and  I  seized  the 
chance  to  seek  the  landlord.  He  was  not  far,  for  I 
found  him  standing  looking  at  me  as  I  came  into  the 
dark  hall. 

"  Gowan,"   said  I,   "  you  have  as  villainous  a  lot 


30    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v 

here  as  ever  I  saw,  but  if  you  be  the  man  I  think 
you,  you  will  get  me  out  of  this  place." 

"  What  can  I  do  with  them,  sir  ?  They  own  the 
house  now.  'T  will  be  a  godsend  if  they  do  not  burn 
it  about  our  ears !  " 

"  Go  back  down  the  road  and  find  the  coach. 
You  '11  get  a  hundred  times  the  pay  there  for  what 
I  want  you  to  do." 

"  I  '11  do  what  I  can,"  he  muttered. 

"  Give  me  another  horse  and  a  woman's  saddle,  if 
you  have  it." 

"  I  have  none  but  an  old  man's  saddle." 

"  You  '11  find  two  horses  hitched  to  the  coach. 
Keep  them."  For,  if  the  men  had  not  taken  them, 
they  must  still  be  there.  The  men,  I  knew,  would  be 
gone  by  this. 

"  I  cannot  get  the  horse  for  ye  just  now,"  he  mut 
tered,  standing  first  on  one  foot  and  then  on  the  other. 

"  Come  with  me,  then,"  said  I,  and  we  went  back 
to  the  main  room.  'T  was  a  ticklish  job,  but  we  did 
it.  They  were  at  their  jolly  good  fellow  again  — 
now  he  sat  on  a  stool  with  his  head  in  his  hands  — 
and  they  hailed  me  as  an  old  friend.  I  must  needs 
drink  with  them  and  sing  a  snatch.  But  we  put  a 
keg  on  the  table  and  stole  out,  leaving  them  fighting 
for  the  first  draught  of  it. 

We  found  the  coach,  but,  as  I  feared,  neither  men 
nor  horses.  Still,  there  was  that  in  the  travelling 
box  which  more  than  satisfied  Gowan,  and  we  soon 
had  another  horse  saddled  standing  with  Roger  ready 
in  a  shed  just  above  the  tavern.  On  getting  again 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    31 

into  the  back  room  by  a  rear  door,  I  found  the  girl 
sitting  up  on  the  bed.  She  clung  to  me,  and  cried 
out  in  a  smothered  voice : 

"That  man!  That  man!  Is  there  another  with 
him  ?  There  must  be !  They  are  always  together !  " 

"  There 's  no  other  here,  madam.  Do  but  keep 
quiet,  and  all  will  be  well." 

"We  must  get  away,"  she  begged  again. 

"  You  could  not  ride  now,  and  an  hour  hence  the 
men  will  be  beyond  the  power  to  follow  us.  Hark  — 
they  are  at  it  again ; "  and,  indeed,  only  the  dead 
could  fail  to  hear  them. 

I  got  her  to  lie  down  again,  and  went  and  sat  out 
side  the  door,  till  she  cried  out  that  I  was  leaving  her 
to  them.  And  so  I  came  and  sat  by  the  bed,  and,  as 
I  am  a  sinner,  nothing  would  do  but  she  must  have 
her  little  hand  in  mine.  'T  was  a  strange  thing  for 
Merton  Balfort.  And  once  I  turned,  when  I  dared, 
to  look  at  her,  and  saw  her  asleep  with  her  head 
lying  on  the  pillow,  still  in  its  frame  of  wonderful 
wavy  hair. 


CHAPTER   IV 

AS  TO   THE   MOODS   OF   A   MAIDEN 

WE  had  been  walking  the  horses  slowly  a 
good  hour  northward,  for  I  had  no  choice 
but  to  get  on  with  my  journey.  The  rain 
had  stopped,  and  the  first  light  of  a  September  day 
began  to  show  up  over  the  high  land  to  the  eastward. 
Not  a  word  had  we  said  since  getting  well  started. 
I,  for  one,  had  more  to  think  than  talk  on,  and  the 
girl  was  too  wearied  to  do  more  than  sit  in  her  un 
gainly  saddle,  while  I  led  her  wretched  nag. 

Heaven  knows,  I  am  no  poet,  and  never  was;  but 
the  break  of  that  day  was  a  beautiful  thing  to  see. 
All  the  earth  was  wet  and  glistening  on  the  barest 
excuse  for  light.  The  trees  all  but  met  over  our 
heads,  with  now  and  then  an  open  bit  of  country,  and 
here  and  there  a  sight  of  the  big  river.  And  all  the 
little  noises  of  the  morning  —  the  insects,  the  birds 
—  kept  up  a  singing  and  a  wheezing  and  a  droning 
that  would  make  the  heart  bound  within  you. 

Then  would  come  a  little  more  light,  and  the  trees 
would  separate  and  stand  up  of  themselves,  and  you 
could  tell  houses  from  sand  banks.  And  from  a 
strange  and  ghostly  whiteness  there  came  a  big  red 
glow,  like  a  sunset,  but  still  never  was  that  light  at 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v    33 

setting  sun.  Here  and  there  was  a  red-tipped  bough, 
while  the  big  rocks  across  the  stream  burned  with 
the  colour.  Then  I  watched  the  colour  go  by  and 
the  first  white  light  of  the  sun  pitch  against  the  cliffs, 
catch  the  trees  above  us,  and  then  come  dropping 
around  us  on  the  wet  turf  and  the  red  mud  at  our 
feet.  And  another  clear  day  was  come  out  of  as 
filthy  a  night  as  one  could  guess  at. 

"  'T  is  a  very  fine  day,"  said  a  strange  voice  at  my 
side. 

I  turned  in  my  saddle  in  wonder,  and  found  her 
looking  up  at  the  trees  overhead  and  the  sky  through 
them,  and  then  turned  back  in  my  saddle  and  said 
not  a  word.  What  might  be  her  ladyship's  next 
mood?  As  for  myself,  I  was  too  worn  out,  too  un 
certain  as  to  my  next  move,  to  see  aught  in  the  situa 
tion  but  desperate  outlook  and  small  chance  of  my 
mission  finishing  that  day  or  week. 

So  the  noisy  silence  of  the  wood  began  again. 

"  You  have  not  the  manners  of  his  majesty's  court, 
sir,"  said  she  blandly. 

"  I  have  never  had  occasion  to  be  there,  mistress," 
I  answered,  with  some  meaning  to  my  tone. 

"  No  ?  "  said  she,  and  studied  the  green  leaves  about 
her  for  a  space.  "  'T  is  a  wretched  thing,"  she  added, 
after  a  bit. 

"What,  the  court?" 

"  Nay,  the  want  of  the  manners." 

"Perhaps  you  would  prefer  to  return  to  the  others;" 
and  then  I  stuck  a  spur  into  old  Roger  and  cursed 
myself  for  a  fool. 

3 


34    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

She  said  not  a  word  for  a  moment,  and  then: 

"  A  courtly  response,  indeed.  Where  were  you 
bred,  sir?" 

"  In  what,  God  be  thanked,  is  a  free  country,  mis 
tress.  The  town  of  Boston,  in  Massachusetts  colony." 

"  Oh !  I  have  heard  tell  of  it.  A  little  wandering 
town,  where  men  pray  for  eight  days  in  the  week, 
and  a  woman  may  wear  only  black  and  never  raise 
her  eyes  from  the  buckle  of  her  slipper." 

'  'T  is  a  town  of  great  men  and  big  hearts,  Mis 
tress  Philipse.  And  'tis  not  for  even  a  British  but 
terfly  to  demean  it." 

"  Am  I,  I  wonder,  Mistress  Philipse  ? "  said  she, 
^poking  at  me  with  a  glint  in  her  eye.  "  Or  —  " 

"  I  do  not  know,  madam.  That  was  the  name  you 
took  but  a  few  hours  since."  She  had  a  look  in  her 
face  that  for  the  life  of  me  I  could  not  read.  Was 
it  a  bursting  desire  to  laugh,  or  a  vixen's  love  of 
teasing  ? 

"Or,  am  I  Mistress  —  Mistress  —  Balfort,  is  it?" 

"  If  you  were  so  indeed,  you  should  not  speak  thus 
of  the  Cradle  of  Liberty." 

"  Ah,  indeed !  And  would  you  tell  me  who  should 
prevent  it  ?  " 

"  That  I  will,  mistress.  No  other  than  your  hus 
band." 

"  Ah,  indeed !  "  said  she  again.  "  I  see  that  you 
have  lived  much  in  the  company  of  women  and  know 
them  full  well,  Captain  Balfort." 

"  Lieutenant  Balfort,  at  your  service,  mistress." 

"  You  should  be  a  captain,  sir,"  said  she,  looking 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    35 

up  through  the  trees.     "  You  bore  yourself  as  such 
not  many  hours  since." 

The  change  of  tone  was  so  quick  that  for  some  un 
known  reason  I  grew  red  with  shame,  and  asked  seri 
ously  enough: 

"  Will  you  tell  me  why  you  should  go  through  a 
bad  scene  as  brave  as  any  —  any  soldier,  and  then 
faint  at  sight  of  a  drunken  man  ?  " 

"  Ah,  do  not  speak  of  him !  "  cried  she,  turning-  a 
face  that  on  a  sudden  had  a  bit  of  that  terror  in  it 
again.  And  then,  looking  back  on  the  road,  "  Think 
you  they  may  follow  us  ?  " 

"  Nay,  mistress,"  I  answered.  "  Not  one  of  them 
could  stand." 

"  Then  why  will  you  bring  me  back  to  that  tavern, 
when  I  am  tired  and  would  talk  of  other  things  ?  " 

"  'T  was  a  thoughtless  query,  and  I  ask  your  for 
giveness,"  said  I,  riding  closer  to  her,  for  I  thought 
she  would  sway  off  the  nag's  back. 

But  her  eye  grew  bright  again  on  a  sudden. 

"  Do  not  fear,  sir,"  said  she,  with  her  chin  in  the 
air.  "  I  am  no  chicken-hearted  maid.  I  do  not  re 
quire  the  support  of  an  arm  —  not  even  when  that 
arm  belongs  to  a  husband." 

"  Mistress  Philipse,"  said  I  earnestly,  resting  a  hand 
on  her  horse's  mane,  "  you  have  twice  referred  to  a 
part  of  last  night's  performance  with  the  scorn  that, 
God  knows,  you  no  doubt  feel.  But  you  are  in  the 
wrong  to  give  it  any  credence,  except  as  the  brave  act 
of  a  brave  woman,  who  saved  by  her  ready  wit  her 
companion  from  sure  death  and  herself  from  worse. 


36    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v 

Do  you,  perchance,  think  that  that  companion  places 
any  other  significance  upon  it  ?  " 

She  turned  her  head  away  and  looked  down  at  the 
wet  ferns  by  the  roadside  for  a  moment  without  reply, 
and  then,  looking  me  in  the  face,  answered : 

"  5T  is  a  foolish  question,  Lieutenant,  and  you  know 
it  as  well  as  I.  Therefore  will  I  not  answer  it." 

Why  it  should  be  so  I  cannot  tell,  but  the  certainty 
that  I  saw  in  her  face  of  the  whole  event's  absurdity 
gave  me  a  sinking  within  myself  that  turned  me  back 
in  my  saddle  and  put  out  the  brightness  of  the 
morning. 

So  again  we  rode  on  for  a  space. 

"  You  do  not  ask  me  why  I  am  in  this  dreadful 
country  alone  and  at  such  a  time,"  said  she  firmly. 

"  No,  mistress,  I  do  not.  But  I  would  ask  another 
question,  if  you  should  choose  to  permit  it." 

"And  what  may  it  be?" 

"  No  other  than  where  are  you  going?  " 

For  a  moment  she  looked  at  me  with  that  glint  in 
her  eye,  and  then  burst  into  as  merry  a  fit  of  laughter 
as  it  has  been  my  lot  to  hear.  I  looked  at  her  in 
amazement,  not  unmixed  with  irritation,  and  off  she 
went  in  another  ripple,  till  I  had  nigh  broken  forth 
into  more  remarks  that  would  doubtless  have  called 
down  other  sarcasms. 

"  'T  is  no  doubt  most  ludicrous,"  said  I,  at  length, 
somewhat  bitterly,  "  but  I  have  not  yet  discovered  that 
side  of  it  and  cannot  join  your  humour." 

"  Oh,  can  you  not,  indeed  ?  "  she  laughed.  "  Could 
you  but  look  on  your  own  face  at  this  moment,  you  'd 
discover  soon  enough." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    37 

"  I  do  not  see  what  my  face,  ludicrous  as  it  may 
be,  has  in  common  with  the  end  of  your  journey." 

"  Why,  I  am  travelling  with  my  —  " 

I  turned  quickly  upon  her,  and  she  stopped  and 
flushed  as  red  as  the  morning  sun  but  a  couple  of 
hours  ago. 

"I  —  I  am  going  to  a  place  just  above  here,"  she 
stammered  with  a  sober  face.  "And  I  would  tell 
you,  sir,  in  order  that  you  may  not  misjudge  me, 
that  I  have  run  away  from  home,  because  —  " 

"  Because  —  ? "  said  I,  in  spite  of  myself,  for  I 
should  have  asked  hours  ago  had  I  dared. 

"  Because  I  chose  to,"  she  answered,  and  then, 
turning  two  eyes  on  me  that  boded  no  good  in  them 
to  those  who  crossed  her,  she  went  on,  sitting  straight 
up  in  the  old  saddle ;  "  because  they  will  learn  some 
day  that  I  will  do  what  I  see  fit  to  do,  and  will  not 
do  what  neither  God  nor  man  should  expect  of  me ! " 

Who  is  it,  I  wonder,  that  says  something  of  the 
lucidity  of  a  woman's  mind?  I  knew  no  more  why 
she  had  left  her  home,  if  she  had  one,  than  I  did 
before  her  reply,  but  I  would  no  more  have  asked  at 
that  moment  for  definite  information  than  I  would 
have  banged  my  head  against  yonder  big  maple  by 
the  roadside.  So  I  held  my  peace,  and  she  sat  there 
astride  her  horse  with  her  head  up  and  the  glance  of 
a  queen. 

She  was  going  to  some  place  about  here.  Then  I 
could  get  on  my  way  and  attend  to  my  mission.  That 
was  what  I  wanted,  no  doubt.  It  would  be  a  lucky 
thing  for  me  to  get  my  mind  on  my  work  and  carry 


38     v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

it  through.  I  was,  of  course,  pleased  at  this,  and  a 
load  was  lifted  from  my  shoulders. 

"  Why  do  you  look  so  glum  ?  "  said  she.  "  Do  you 
perhaps  take  their  side  ?  " 

"God  forbid,  mistress!"  said  I.  'They'  might 
go  to  Limbo  before  I  would  stretch  out  a  hand  to 
help  them.  "  I  was  thinking  of  other  matters." 

"  Oh,  were  you,  indeed  ?  I  suppose  that  you  are 
so  accustomed  to  riding  about  the  earth  with  women 
that  their  conversation  wearies  you." 

I  lifted  my  hand  to  interrupt  her,  but  she  went 
rushing  on: 

"  And  I  would  ask  you  a  question,  too,  Mr.  Balfort. 
Will  you  give  me  that  paper  ?  " 

"  That  paper  ?  "  said  I,  in  amazement. 

"  Yes,  sir.  That  paper  which  you  have  in  your 
pocket,  and  which  I  signed  last  night ; "  and  I  saw 
a  bit  of  colour  go  slowly  over  her  face  and  into  her 
hair,  as  she  looked  at  me,  and  then  at  Roger's  nose, 
and  then  back  at  me. 

"  Why,  I  think  —  I  fear  it  is  lost,"  I  muttered. 

"  Do  not  lie  to  me,  sir !  'T  is  in  your  pocket.  I 
saw  you  put  it  there  when  't  was  signed." 

And  so  I  drew  the  scrawled  slip  from  my  pocket 
and  handed  it  to  her,  as  she  had  bid.  She  took  it 
slowly  and  looked  at  it  for  a  moment  as  the  horses 
walked  on  quietly,  and  then  she  put  it  between  the 
lacings  of  her  bodice,  and  the  colour  ran  over  her 
face  again,  like  the  little  haze  that  passes  across  the 
moon  of  a  windy  night. 

"  Look !  "  said  she  suddenly.  "  We  are  coming  to 
a  village.  See  the  houses.  I  think  I  will  walk  a  bit." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    39 

I  got  down;  and  she,  looking  at  me  with  a  little 
smile,  placed  her  two  hands  on  my  shoulders  and  let 
me  lift  her  out  of  the  ungainly  saddle  and  set  her  on 
the  ground,  wondering  the  while  how  so  much  tem 
per  and  changeableness  could  possibly  be  contained 
in  such  a  little  body,  for  she  could  not  have  weighed 
eight  stone.  As  I  threw  the  reins  of  the  two  horses 
over  my  arm  and  started  along  the  only  partly  dried 
ruts  by  her  side,  she  laughed  that  little  laugh  again: 

"  Of  what  do  you  suppose  I  am  thinking,  Mr. 
Balfort?" 

"  Heaven  forbid  that  I  should  pretend  to  guess, 
madam/' 

"  I  am  thinking,"  she  answered,  and  laughed  again 

—  "I  am  thinking  that  if  I  do  not  have  something 
to  eat  this  minute,  I  shall  die." 

"  The  devil  take  me  for  a  careless  lout,"  I  cried, 
and  forthwith  drew  out  from  my  pocket  a  dirty  bit 
of  paper  —  the  only  thing  I  could  find  at  the  tavern 

—  and  opened  out  a  moderately  clean  piece  of  bread 
and  a  slice  or  two  of  ham.     She  looked  up  at  me  in 
surprise,  and  impulsively  held  out  her  hand. 

"  You  are  a  good,  thoughtful  man,  after  all ! " 
And  I,  I,  this  same  Balfort  —  what  the  fiend  had 
gotten  into  my  crop  this  day  ?  —  I  raised  it,  and  put 
my  lips  to  the  little  knuckles. 

"  Aha,  sir,"  cried  she  with  a  twinkle  in  her  eye, 
"  Boston  is  not  so  far  from  his  majesty's  court  as  I 
have  been  led  to  infer ! "  I  dropped  the  hand  as  if 
it  had  been  a  hot  cake,  and  turned  to  the  horses,  curs 
ing  myself  for  an  ass. 


40    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

Then  she  sat  down  by  the  roadside  on  a  rock  and 
proceeded  to  eat  the  bread  and  ham  with  as  healthy 
an  appetite  as  if  she  had  just  come  from  a  canter 
across  the  meadows  on  her  favourite  mare.  After 
a  bit  we  searched  about  between  the  road  and  the 
river,  and  at  last  came  upon  a  pretty  spring,  glitter 
ing  in  the  sunshine,  and  I  showed  her  how  to  lie  at 
full  length  and  drink  from  the  pool  itself. 

So  we  walked  on  into  the  village,  through  it,  and 
on  out  into  the  country  again.  She  had  refused  to 
rest,  as  I  suggested,  in  one  of  the  houses,  giving  no 
reason  except  that  she  did  not  care  to,  and  since  pass 
ing  the  last  one  we  had  walked  on  in  silence,  until, 
without  warning  or  introduction,  she  suddenly  turned 
to  me  and  said: 

"You  know  that  I  have  left  my  father's  house  in 
the  city." 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  not  venturing  too  many  opinions. 

"  You  know,  too,  that  you  are  in  my  eyes  a  rebel." 

"  Yes." 

"A  treasonable  person,  who  should  by  rights  be 
hanged." 

"  Yes." 

"  A  very  dangerous  person,  who  breaks  the  king's 
laws,  and  must  not  be  recognised  or  tolerated  for  an 
instant." 

"  Yes." 

"  Then,  sir,  when  we  reach  the  gate  of  that  large 
house  which  you  see  yonder,  get  you  gone  at  once, 
if  you  have  any  regard  for  me." 

"  Any  regard  for  you?  "  I  asked  in  astonishment. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    41 

"  Why,  yes." 

"Why  'yes'?" 

"  Because,  sir,  I  do  not  care  to  witness  a  hanging 
of  any  kind,  whether  of  rebels  or  king's  law  breakers, 
or  dangerous  persons  —  or  —  or  —  near  relatives." 

I  looked  at  her  and  saw  her  face  as  serious  as  it 
had  yet  been. 

"  That  is  the  house  of  a  Tory  —  a  Royalist  —  and 
you  stop  there  ?  " 

"  I  do,"  she  answered,  looking  off  towards  it. 

"  Do  you  know  of  the  great  danger  of  such  a  house 
in  this  neutral  country,  open  to  all  the  marauders  that 
prowl  about  —  of  such  men  as  we  saw  last  night  ?  " 

"  I  do  perfectly.  That  is  why  the  people  have  left 
it." 

"  And  you  are  going  there  alone  ?  " 

"  Except  for  the  servants." 

"  And  who  will  hang  me,  if  it  please  your  ladyship 
to  answer  ?  " 

"  I  shall  be  obliged  to  order  the  servants  to  serve 
their  king." 

I  laughed  for  the  very  absurdity  of  it. 

"  Mistress  Philipse,  if  you  are  indeed  to  stop  here, 
I  shall  conduct  you  to  the  house  and  see  that  you  are 
properly  cared  for." 

"  You  will  do  nothing  of  the  kind,  sir." 

"  But  think  you  that  I  fear  your  servants,  or  your 
king's  edicts  ?  " 

"  No,  but  you  do  me  and  mine." 

"Do  you  think  so,  indeed?"  said  I,  a  little  nettled. 

"  Yes,  because  I  will  beg  you  to  go  on,"  she  said, 


42    ¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

turning  quickly  to  me  and  putting  her  hand  on  my 
arm,  looking  up  into  my  face  with  an  earnest  appeal 
in  her  eyes ;  "  because  I  am  quite  safe,  because  I  — 
I  —  you  have  been  a  true  gentleman  this  night  and 
day,  and  because  I  would  not  have  you  do  aught  to 
make  me  think  otherwise  of  you."  The  beautiful 
eyes  were  filling  with  tears  as  she  went  on.  "  Be 
cause  I  have  perhaps  done  a  foolish  thing,  and  am 
quite  safe  now,  and  would  not  do  other  foolish  things, 
and  because  —  because  you  are  too  kind  not  to  do 
what  I  ask ; "  and  she  was  through  the  gate  and 
gone  up  the  walk  to  the  house  before  I  could  speak. 

I  stood  watching  her  running  on,  powerless  to  fol 
low,  and,  as  she  reached  the  corner  of  the  house,  she 
turned  back  and  waved  her  hand  to  me  once  —  and 
then  she  was  gone. 

Slowly  I  tied  the  old  nag  to  the  gate-post.  Slowly 
I  mounted  Roger  and  headed  the  good  horse  up  the 
road,  keeping  my  eyes  the  while  upon  the  corner  of 
the  house  around  which  the  little  figure  in  its  hood 
and  cape  had  disappeared.  And  so  I  sat  across  Roger 
until  the  trees  shut  out  the  view. 


CHAPTER   V 

WHICH    TREATS   OF   A   STRANGE   GALLERY   IN   A 
STRANGE   THEATRE 

STRANGE  —  so  strange  I  could  not  get  over 
it  —  that  the  last  twenty-four  hours  had  set 
the  world  wagging  another  way  for  me. 

There  was  Fanny  Jaekel  up  in  Boston,  whom  I  had 
known  so  many  years,  whom  I  'd  have  sworn  even 
now  was  of  the  best  a  man  might  ever  hope  or  wish 
to  call  his  own.  And  had  I,  perhaps,  thought  to  do 
so  some  day? 

There  's  but  little  good  in  denying  what  we  know 
to  be  so,  and  't  is  quite  true  that  I  had  thought  again 
and  again  of  dear  little  Fanny  watching  for  me  from 
a  certain  window  some  day  when  I  came  homeward, 
and  giving  me  the  doings  of  her  sex  at  supper,  as  I 
gave  her  those  of  mine  in  exchange. 

Will  not  man  or  boy  of  any  age  do  the  same  thing 
a  hundred  times  in  as  many  months?  But  Fanny 
seemed  to  have  been  there  longest,  oftenest.  Yet  had 
I  never  so  much  as  suspected  in  all  this  what  was 
tearing  through  my  mind  now  after  as  uncanny  a 
night  as  a  man  might  dread  to  be  repeated. 

There  stood  Fanny's  little  white  face  against  every 
tree  as  we  —  Roger  and  I  —  trudged  on ;  and  some 
where  behind  it,  shining  through  it,  looking  strangely 


44    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

at  me,  another  that  I  had  seen  but  part  of  a  day  — 
angry,  proud,  kind,  humorous,  anything  but  sweet,  as 
it  stared  at  me  with  the  looks  of  so  many  different 
Fannies  and  all  her  friends  that  I  'd  ever  known  swal 
lowed  up  in  something  new.  I  could  have  dropped 
off  Roger  and  kicked  myself  for  a  light-headed  fool 
to  think  such  a  twist  could  come  to  me  and  switch 
my  mind  around  to  so  different  a  view. 

And  I  was  like  to  have  been  off  the  horse,  at  any 
rate,  just  then,  for  through  the  string  of  my  thoughts 
rang  out  clear  on  the  morning  air  the  loud  "  ping  " 
of  a  rifle,  just  ahead,  but  so  near  that  Roger  got  away 
across  the  road  a  little  quicker  than  I.  Standing  so 
an  instant,  I  caught  the  unmistakable  sounds  of  a 
combat  —  curses,  blows,  cries,  and  the  ring  of  steel; 
and  without  thinking  overmuch,  I  put  the  horse  to 
his  run,  and  covered  the  short  space  to  a  turn  where 
a  thicket  of  shrubs  shut  out  the  stretch  of  the  road. 

As  we  turned  the  corner,  there  in  the  middle  of  the 
highway  stood  four  men,  three  of  them  ragged,  one 
of  huge  stature  and  better  dressed,  the  latter  talking 
and  laughing  with  rasping  sarcasm  as  the  other  three 
set  on  him,  but  ever  keeping  them  away  with  his  long 
sword.  I  was  scarce  twenty  yards  from  them,  and 
so  fetched  the  lead  from  my  pistol  into  the  side  of 
one,  and  caught  a  second  on  the  head  with  the  weapon 
itself,  as  Roger  flew  past  the  group.  The  surprise 
was  equal  for  all  five  of  us,  but  the  big  one  did  not 
appear  disturbed  in  the  least.  As  I  pulled  up  and 
turned,  I  heard  him  cry  out: 

"  Now !     Now,  my  ragged  son  of  the  woods,  't  is 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    45 

evener!  Let  me  cut  thy  beautiful  pate  open!  So! 
So  again!  Ho!  Here!  Stop,  you  left-handed  pa 
triot  !  Oh,  't  is  a  shame !  'T  is  a  shame !  "  And  he 
was  off  in  among  the  trees  after  the  third  of  the 
gang. 

One  was  dead  for  sure,  and  lay  there  in  the  mud. 
But  the  other  got  up  to  a  sitting  posture,  rubbing  the 
side  of  his  head,  as  I  came  over  him;  and  he  gazed 
up  at  me  with  a  dazed  surprise  in  his  countenance 
so  comical  to  look  upon  that  I  roared  with  laughter, 
to  be  interrupted  by  a  loud,  mocking  voice: 

"  Nay,  't  is  no  laughing  matter,  sir.  Here  have  you 
caused  me  to  lose  a  gentleman  of  great  value  by  your 
sudden  interruption !  " 

"I?"  cried  the  most  astonished  of  all  now,  "I? 
My  interruption  ?  " 

"  Of  a  surety,"  said  the  giant,  with  a  laughing 
face,  and  he  grasped  my  hand  warmly.  "  Here  was 
I  getting  some  little  morning  exercise  with  my  three 
friends,  and  you  must  break  in  and  — " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  I,  bowing  low.  "  I 
fancied  you  had  miscalculated  the  courtesy  of  these 
same  friends." 

"  And,"  continued  he  —  "  and  commit  the  strange 
breach  in  time  of  war  of  saving  me  from  furnishing 
a  delicate  meal  to  my  friends  over  there  on  the  trees. 
But  which  tree  did  ye  drop  from  yourself  ?  " 

"  No  such  interesting  feature  in  it,"  said  I ;  "  the 
road  and  the  abrupt  curve  made  the  whole  thing  ap 
pear  over  sudden." 

"My  devoirs  to  the  abrupt  curve,"  said  the  young 


46    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

man  with  mock  courtesy,  lifting  his  cap  to  the  white 
highway.  "  And  now,  sir,  whoever  ye  may  chance 
to  be,  the  chance  is  so  good  for  me  that  I  would 
shake  you  by  the  hand,  and  thank  you  for  your  sav 
ing  of  my  worthless  neck,  and  say  to  you  that  when 
John  Acton  can  do  aught  for  you  —  why,  by  the 
Lord,  call  on  him  and  try  him ! " 

And  he  held  out  his  enormous  hand  with  a  frank 
ness  that  I  had  done  well  to  have  trusted. 

But  I  had  been  too  close  to  failing  in  my  mission 
more  than  once  in  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  and 
too  close  to  losing  my  own  head  to  try  any  more  ex 
periences  with  strangers;  and  I,  therefore,  shook  him 
by  the  hand,  telling  him  the  whole  thing  was  naught 
to  speak  of  again,  and  went  no  further.  But  as  he 
asked  me  to  accompany  him  to  a  hollow  off  the  road 
where  ran  a  brook,  that  he  might  wash  the  blood 
from  his  face  and  hair,  I  could  see  that  I  had  hurt 
him  by  lacking  in  the  confidence  he  showed. 

Little  was  said  as  he  knelt  by  the  stream,  till  I 
caught  the  sound  of  horses'  feet,  and  looked  up  to 
see  a  troop  of  uniformed  men  coming  from  the  north 
over  a  steep  hill.  As  they  clattered  down  the  slope, 
I  made  up  my  mind  that  't  was  approaching  the  time 
when  I  should  leave. 

As  he  raised  his  head  at  the  sound,  he  quickly  took 
me  by  the  arm  and  stepped  across  the  brook  into  the 
shrubbery. 

'  'T  is  a  safe  thing  to  avoid  two  skirmishes  in  the 
same  hour,"  said  he  with  a  jovial  laugh;  and  I 
agreed  with  him  in  more  ways  than  one.  Then: 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    47 

"  Do  you  stay  here  a  bit,  while  I  find  out  who  they 
may  be,"  for  the  troop  had  pulled  up  where  the  stream 
crossed  the  road. 

It  was  my  chance  now,  if  ever,  and  with  the  light 
step  I  had  learned  from  my  father's  lessons,  got  by 
hard  years  in  the  Indian  wars  —  a  step  that  never 
broke  a  twig  nor  rustled  a  leaf  unnecessarily  —  I  was 
away  in  a  moment,  making  for  the  direction  of  the 
river  bank  in  the  hope  of  getting  to  the  other  side; 
for,  in  good  earnest,  this  was  too  populous  a  country 
for  me  to  move  in  just  now. 

As  I  got  away,  I  heard  a  hail  from  the  big  lungs 
of  Mr.  John  Acton,  but  it  only  added  to  my  speed, 
and,  by  the  best  chance  that  for  once  turned  my  way, 
I  made  the  river  bank,  paid  a  fellow  near  by  to  ferry 
me  across,  and  got  into  the  woods  on  the  other  side. 
So,  keeping  close  by  the  road,  but  avoiding  it  when 
ever  I  gathered  that  some  one  was  approaching,  I 
moved  along  towards  Haverstraw. 

One  would  have  said  the  whole  world  walked 
abroad  that  day,  for  I  met  one  after  another;  till, 
the  sense  of  caution  growing  stronger  in  me  for  what 
I  had  been  through,  I  stepped  towards  the  river  bank 
into  the  thick  forest,  and  lay  me  down  to  wait  for 
darkness.  In  good  truth,  what  with  the  want  of  food 
and  the  work  of  the  past  night,  I  needed  rest  badly, 
and  my  wandering  thoughts,  that  strayed  back  to  a 
certain  tavern  and  its  strangely  fair  occupant,  must 
soon  have  been  overruled  by  honest  sleep,  for  when 
I  sat  up  again,  with  the  sense  of  something  occur 
ring,  or  about  to  occur,  near  by,  darkness  had  settled 
over  the  land  for  several  hours. 


48    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

It  has  ever  been  a  peculiar  quality  of  mine  to  wake 
fully  at  once,  and  I  had  made  no  movement  when 
there  came  in  on  my  mind,  less  through  the  eyes  than 
the  ears,  that  there,  in  the  moonlit  woods,  walked 
some  one.  A  turn  of  the  head  showed  me  the  figure 
of  a  man  striding  up  and  down,  his  hands  clasped 
behind  his  back,  his  head  bent  forward,  but  each 
moment  nervously  lifted,  as  if  expecting  to  hear  some 
sound  near  by. 

"An  officer,"  said  I  to  myself,  for  the  square  shoul 
ders,  the  straight  figure,  and  the  unknown  something 
in  the  carriage  of  a  man  accustomed  to  military  pre 
cision  were  visible  in  every  movement  of  the  figure. 
I  could  not  trust  myself  to  move,  for  he  passed  con 
stantly  within  a  few  feet  of  the  spot  where  I  lay, 
only  separated  from  me  by  the  great  elm  whose  roots 
had  served  me  for  a  pillow. 

"  An  officer,  and  no  mistake,"  went  on  my  mus 
ings,  "and  here  in  the  woods  at  night,  by  the  river, 
waiting,  it  would  seem,  for  some  one.  Can  it  be  that 
he  grows  impatient?  He  moves  towards  the  stream. 
No."  My  musings  were  cut  short  by  the  unmistak 
able  sound  of  oars  regularly  striking  the  tholepins  of 
a  boat.  The  noise  drew  near,  and  the  boat  must  have 
stopped  close  by,  for  in  a  moment  a  man — nay,  two — 
appeared,  and  one  at  least  was  an  officer  as  well,  for 
beneath  his  long  coat  dangled  the  point  of  a  scabbard. 
The  one  who  waited  retreated  to  my  tree,  and  stood 
not  five  feet  away  in  a  deep  shadow,  while  the  other 
two  came  up  the  bank  into  the  little  open  glade. 

Gradually  it  dawned  upon  me  that  I  was,  by  some 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v    49 

strange  freak  of  chance,  become  the  spectator  in  the 
gallery,  so  to  speak,  of  a  theatre.  What  the  spectacle 
should  be,  I  knew  not ;  but  a  strong,  perhaps  natural, 
feeling  led  me  to  watch  with  peculiar  eagerness  for 
what  was  about  to  take  place. 

There  was  not  long  to  wait;  for  the  older  man 
stepped  guardedly  from  the  shadows  near  me,  and, 
on  the  moment,  one  of  the  new  arrivals  said  in  a  low 
tone: 

"  Is  that  you,  General  ?  " 

"  It  is  I,"  said  the  deep  tones  of  the  elderly  officer. 

"  This  is  Mr.  Anderson  —  Mr.  John  Anderson, 
whom  you  expect." 

"  There  is  none  other  with  you  ?  " 

"  None,"  answered  the  first  speaker.  "  Except  the 
two  boatmen  below,  and  they  be  out  of  earshot." 
Then  he  who  seemed  to  be  master  of  ceremonies  in 
this  strange  midnight  drama  continued :  "  Mr.  Ander 
son,  this  is  Mr.  Gustavus,  of  whom  we  have  spoken." 

Thereupon  went  over  me  a  cold  sweat,  for  there 
could  be  no  mistake  —  the  third  party  to  this  drama 
spoke  with  a  clear,  strong  voice  in  the  unmistakable 
accents  of  an  Englishman: 

"  I  am,  then,  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Gustavus  ?  " 

"  You  are,"  replied  that  person.  "  There  is  no  rea 
son  for  raising  our  voices.  I  have  the  honour,  then, 
of  addressing  Mr.  John  Anderson." 

"  The  same." 

What  had  an  Englishman  to  do  here,  within,  or 
nearly  within,  American  lines?  And  what  meant  this 
meeting  ?  Here  were  the  voices  and  figures  of  officers ! 

4 


5o   »    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    » 

'No  country  louts  were  thus  getting  together  in  the 
midst  of  the  woods.  The  tones,  too,  were  of  a  char 
acter  with  the  time  and  place.  Those  of  him  called 
Anderson  were  distant  and  of  no  very  forbearing 
nature.  Those  of  the  older  man  came  from  one  who 
was  in  haste. 

"  I  understand,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Anderson,  "  that  you 
are  the  person  who  has  made  certain  communications 
touching  the  fortifications  at  West  Point." 

11  Yes,"  answered  Mr.  Gustavus. 

"  I  am  given  to  understand  further,"  went  on  the 
English  voice,  "  that  there  has  arisen  some  question 
as  to  the  sincerity  of  both  parties,  especially  as  regards 
Sir  Henry  Clinton." 

"  Yes,"  came  the  answer  again. 

Sir  Henry  Clinton!  In  spite  of  myself,  I  sat  up, 
as  if  forced  by  a  spring,  and  the  third  member  of  this 
strange  trio  must  have  taken  the  rustle  of  the  leaves 
to  be  the  night  wind,  for  he  turned  and  certainly 
heard  the  sound.  Sir  Henry  Clinton!  Sir  Henry 
Clinton ! 

"  I  am  here,  sir,  to  prove  my  chief's  sincerity," 
the  English  voice  was  saying,  as  the  spectator  in  this 
theatre  gathered  his  scattered  wits.  "  I  am  here  in 
reply  to  a  note  from  Mr.  Gustavus,  which  says  that 
he  will  hand  to  Mr.  Anderson  the  plans  of  the  fortress 
at  West  Point,  together  with  a  list  of  the  guns,  as  a 
sign  of  his  good  faith  and  sincerity  and  as  a  first 
step  in  the  arrangements  to  be  consummated.  Am  I 
correct?" 

"  So  I  understand,  sir,"  replied  the  elderly  officer 
(quickly. 


• 


.rriW.lfcu.. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    51 

"  I  have  the  honour,  then,  of  addressing  General 
Benedict  Arnold?" 

"Yes;  and  I?" 

"Of  addressing  Major  John  Andre,  of  Clinton's 
staff  —  but  what  is  that  ?  " 

"  'T  is  the  wind  in  the  leaves,"  answered  the  master 
of  ceremonies.  "  I  heard  it  but  now ; "  and,  by  the 
grace  of  chance,  the  wind  did  indeed  at  that  moment 
rustle  among  the  foliage  on  all  sides.  Otherwise,  my 
spasmodic  movement  must  have  discovered  me  then 
and  there. 

What  followed  will  never  be  clear  to  me,  for  my 
mind  became  on  the  instant  so  crazed  with  the  idea 
that  was  growing  on  me  moment  by  moment,  that  I 
can  but  recall  a  certain  sense  of  moonlight  and  woods, 
with  three  tall  figures  standing  in  a  bit  of  open  swale, 
talking  as  if  for  my  benefit,  while  I  lay  there  in  a 
dream.  Yet  do  I  remember  the  so-called  Gustavus 
saying : 

"  May  I  ask  what  is  your  plan  for  the  taking  of 
the  fortifications  ?  " 

'  'T  is  that  on  the  28th  the  attack  should  be  made 
by  falling  quickly  on  the  southern  outposts,  and  that 
you,  expecting  us,  should  have  made  the  way  clear 
by  leaving  pickets  widely  separated,  by  having  the 
garrison  unprepared,  and  by  showing  me  on  the  plans 
the  exact  position  of  the  guns  and  the  spot  where  we 
may  enter." 

Again  comes  a  vacancy  in  my  mind  till  I  heard : 

"  As  to  my  requirements.  The  letters  do  not  speak 
as  clearly  of  them  as  I  could  wish." 


52    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v 

"  All  will  be  as  you  require  —  personal  protection, 
the  stated  amount,  and  a  command  for  yourself,"  re 
plied  the  man  called  Andre. 

"Besides  the  further  details?" 

"  Besides  the  further  details." 

"  It  will  only  be  necessary  for  you  to  meet  me,  then, 
on  the  25th,  when  I  shall  deliver  over  the  plans  —  " 

An  exclamation  broke  from  Andre. 

"  You  have  no  plans  with  you,  then  ?  "  said  he  in 
a  stern  voice. 

"  'T  was  unsafe  to  bring  them  to  a  first  meeting. 
The  description  of  arrangements  and  the  strength 
of  the  approaches  were  sent  you  a  week  ago." 

"  Those  are  now  in  my  chief's  hands,  but  't  is 
necessary  that  we  have  the  complete  plans." 

"  They  will  be  ready  on  the  25th." 

"Where  is  Washington?"  asked  Andre  suddenly. 
His  tone,  the  figure  looming  in  the  half  light,  both 
spoke  of  impatience  and  dissatisfaction. 

"  At  Fishkill." 

"  And  that  is  —  " 

"  On  the  other  bank,  above  my  house,  which  stands 
opposite  the  fortress." 

I  could  do  naught  but  lie  back  and  gaze  in  silence  at 
the  branches  overhead,  with  the  indescribable  weight 
of  something  terrible  on  my  mind,  even  as  in  boyhood 
I  had  often  lain  quiet  in  my  bed  at  home  when  wak 
ened  suddenly  from  a  wild  dream,  half  in  belief  that 
't  was  true,  half  conscious  that  indeed  such  things 
could  not  be.  How  long  it  may  have  been  I  could 
no  more  tell  than  I  can  describe  the  feelings  that  gov- 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    53 

erned  me,  but  certain  it  is  that  I  suddenly  became  a- 
ware  of  a  movement  on  the  part  of  the  three  towards 
the  boat.  Then  some  discussion  arose;  I  still  lay  flat 
upon  my  back,  gazing  upward,  but  loud  and  angry 
words  came  to  me,  and  the  figures  of  the  three  re 
turned. 

"  'T  is  a  strange  mischance,  but  we  must  not  excite 
them,"  the  voice  of  Arnold  was  saying.  "  Do  you, 
Squire  Smith,  go  with  them  to  Haverstraw,  and  Major 
Andre  and  I  will  walk  to  your  house.  I  can  give  him 
the  papers  there." 

And  in  an  instant  they  were  gone. 

So  I  lay  a  space.  How  long?  The  good  God  only 
knows!  But  of  a  sudden  the  reaction  took  me,  and 
I  started  up  with  but  one  idea  raging  through  my 
head.  To  get  to  Fishkill !  To  give  the  story  to  my 
great  chief!  To  see  him  catch  the  traitor  before  the 
28th  could  come  upon  us ! 

How  't  was  done  no  one  can  tell,  least  of  all  myself. 
But  cross  the  river  again  I  did,  and  then,  without  head 
or  planning,  I  began  to  run  upstream  until  I  should 
find  a  house,  or  a  horse,  or  any  one  or  thing  that 
might  help  me  to  get  on  the  faster.  It  may  have  been 
an  hour,  or  two,  or  more.  I  cannot  tell.  Always  I 
ran  on  and  on.  My  ears  sang  loudly,  and  the  breath 
had  gone  from  me  long  ago. 

Good  runner  and  strong  man  as  I  was,  I  could  not 
tell  from  step  to  step  how  'twas  that  I  got  on.  In 
the  rutted  road  and  the  slippery  mud  I  fell  again  and 
again;  my  hat  and  sword  were  gone  long  since.  As 
I  look  back  on  it  now,  it  must  have  been  close  upon 


54    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v 

a  lunatic  that  plunged  on  northward  through  that 
night. 

There  came  an  end,  however;  one  that  was  most 
sudden  and  unexpected.  For  I  caught  a  cry,  just  as 
I  saw  a  huge  figure  loom  up  ahead  in  the  mist,  of 
"  Who  goes  there  ?  "  and  saw  the  long  line  of  a  rifle 
go  up  to  a  shoulder. 

'Twas  no  time  for  parleying,  and  on  the  instant 
I  cried  out  to  let  me  pass,  and  discharged  my  pistol 
straight  before  me.  There  came  but  one  sound  —  too 
loud  for  a  pistol  —  and  a  hot  streak  passed  along  my 
scalp  and  through  my  hair. 

"  Stand  away !  "  cried  I. 

"  Phat  's  that  ?  "  cried  a  voice.  "  Give  the  counter- 
sign!" 

"  I  do  not  know  it !  "  cried  I,  doggedly. 

"  I  t'ought  not !  "  came  the  rich  brogue. 

"  I  must  see  General  Washington  at  once !  "  I  cried, 
the  tears  of  exhaustion  and  disappointment  running 
down  my  face. 

"  Ho !  ye  '11  see  him  soon  enough,  me  f rind  —  phat 
the  divil  are  ye,  though  ?  "  he  added,  as  a  lantern  was 
brought  by  some  others,  who  ran  up.  "  For  the  love 
o'  Gawd !  phat  lunatic  is  it  ?  "  he  cried,  when  he  caught 
a  glimpse  of  my  face  and  clothes. 

"  Let  me  by,  man !    Who  are  you  ?    Where  am  I  ?  " 

"Ye 're  all  right,  me  lad,"  laughed  the  sentinel; 
"  ye  're  me  prisoner,  and  ye  're  jist  wan  foot  inside 
the  Tiller's  P'int  picket  line,  goin'  north !  " 


CHAPTER  VI 

IN    WHICH   A   PRISONER   IS  TRIED  AND   HIS   JAILER 
ESCAPES 

WITH  only  a  dim  idea  of  what  I  went  through 
the  rest  of  that  night,  I  can  recall  moving 
under  escort  to  an  old  farm  building,  which 
appeared  to  serve  the  purpose  of  a  guard-house,  and, 
after  a  short  examination,  being  committed  to  a  back 
room  with  but  one  window,  and  that  barred.  For  the 
few  remaining  hours  before  I  was  called  out  to  the 
examining  officer,  I  heard  the  steady  tread  of  a  sen 
tinel  outside  my  door.  Sleep  was  gone  from  me,  and 
like  as  not  the  rest  I  had  had  in  the  woods  saved  me 
from  complete  exhaustion. 

Up  and  down  the  room  I  went  hour  by  hour,  trying 
to  cool  myself  down  and  to  form  some  plan  for  getting 
away  and  giving  information  to  the  high  authority 
who  alone  could  be  told  such  news.  But  nothing  came 
of  it.  Indeed,  I  was  far  too  crazed  with  the  experience 
I  had  had  to  gather  my  poor  wits,  except  in  so  far  as 
I  decided  finally  to  explain  frankly  who  I  was  to  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  troops  stationed  here  at 
Verplancks.  I  knew  Colonel  Livingstone  to  be  a  fine 
soldier  and  a  gentleman.  My  two  letters  had  been 
taken  from  me  as  soon  as  I  was  brought  in,  but  I  had 
no  fears  for  anything  except  my  ability  to  come  up 


56    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

with  the  Commander-in-Chief  and  get  speech  with 
him. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  continual  tramping  up 
and  down  the  room  that  I  was  interrupted  by  the  en 
trance  of  a  sergeant,  who  bade  me  follow  him.  We 
passed  along  a  narrow  hall,  and  stood  at  a  half  opened 
door,  waiting  to  be  called,  as  I  supposed.  Within  the 
room  could  be  heard  the  voice  of  an  officer  making 
examinations,  but  as  I  leaned  wearily  against  the  door 
post  I  gradually  became  aware  of  two  or  three  men 
talking  in  low  voices  on  the  other  side  of  the  door. 

"  Perchance  't  was  indeed  the  man,  Rob,  though, 
upon  my  soul,  I  hope  not.  For  he  did  me  as  great  a 
service  as  man  can  do."  I  started  involuntarily.  It 
was  certainly  the  big  voice  of  my  friend  John  Acton 
of  the  morning  before ;  and,  while  I  listened,  the  turn 
ing  of  my  thoughts  to  him  led  them,  for  the  first  time 
since  that  strange  meeting  in  the  woods,  back  to  the 
old  house  at  Gowan's  Ferry  and  to  her  who  had  taken 
such  a  hold  upon  me ;  so  that  at  first  the  words  seemed 
to  carry  little  meaning  to  my  mind. 

"  Heaven  bring  it  that  't  is  indeed  your  man,  John. 
For  I  have  followed  the  fellow  up  and  down  this 
country  now  for  two  weeks,  till  the  pursuit  of  him 
and  the  desire  to  come  up  with  him  have  grown  to 
a  strange  fascination."  This  other  voice  was  clear, 
cool,  and  penetrating,  and  came  of  a  different  char 
acter  from  such  as  one  saw  day  by  day  among  officers 
and  men  in  the  rank  and  file  of  the  Continental  army. 
'Twas  no  English  accented  voice,  but  it  showed  a 
great  degree  of  cultivation. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    57 

"  What  bearing  and  clothes  had  he  ?  Though  the 
clothes  might  be  changed,"  he  added.  "  But  I  have 
seen  that  fiend  again  and  again,  always  riding,  always 
with  a  great  cape,  always  at  night." 

"  True,  lad,"  said  the  other ;  "  he  did,  indeed,  wear 
a  great  cape,  and  he  rode  down  from  the  heavens  at 
full  speed  to  my  rescue." 

"  And  then  disappeared  ?  " 

"  Aye,  like  the  smoke  from  a  gun  —  pouf !  and  he 
was  gone." 

"  And  some  ten  miles  this  side  of  Gowan's  Ferry," 
the  first  voice  said  musingly ;  "  't  was  thereabouts  I  Ve 
come  upon  him." 

"  What  set  ye  on  the  man,  Rob  ?  "  asked  the  voice 
of  Acton.  I  began  now,  in  good  truth,  to  catch  every 
word,  for  I  could  place  one  man  at  least. 

"  'T  is  under  the  rose,  John,  but  the  fellow  is  trying 
to  double  spy,  or  so  the  Commander-in-Chief  fears. 
But  't  is  thought,  too,  he  belongs  to  Clinton.  The  col 
onel  took  me  into  his  confidence,  and  I  am  to  try  to 
run  him  to  earth.  I  would  not  tell  this  even  to  you, 
but  that  I  have  the  colonel's  consent  to  take  your  help. 
He  goes  by  the  name  of  Captain  Hazeltine,  and  as 
sure  as  there  is  a  God  in  heaven,  I  will  come  up  with 
the  man  yet.  It  grows  now  to  be  a  personal  thing 
'twixt  him  and  me !  " 

"  Then  the  Lord  help  him !  "  interrupted  the  other. 
And  at  that  I  was  pulled  by  the  sleeve  and  marched 
into  the  room. 

As  we  passed  through  the  door,  I  caught  a  sudden 
exclamation,  and,  turning,  recognised  the  man  I  had 


58    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

helped  on  the  highway,  dressed  now  in  a  lieutenant's 
uniform,  and  knew  he  recognised  me.  Well,  we 
should  see  what  might  be  the  outcome  of  it  all;  and 
if  I  were  to  have  spoken  my  mind  then,  I  cared  not 
a  tinker's  dam. 

"Number  12!"  called  out  a  deep  and,  to  me  just 
then,  irritating  voice.  "  Report  for  examination !  " 

I  only  saw  in  the  morning  sunshine  that  the  room 
was  filled  with  a  number  of  commissioned  and  non 
commissioned  officers,  and  was  about  to  move  to  the 
place  allotted  to  me,  when  he  who  called  himself  Acton 
stepped  up  and  frankly  shook  my  hand. 

"  Ah,  my  friend,  here  you  are !  Rob,"  said  he,  with 
calm  disregard  of  the  examining  officer  near  by, 
"  Rob,  here  is  the  man  who  kept  me  from  the  worms." 

"That  man!"  muttered  the  other.  He  had  a 
straight  figure,  a  fine,  strong  face,  pale,  a  little  som 
bre  in  expression,  but  to  the  full  extent  what  the  voice 
had  intimated.  "Nay,  friend,"  he  added  dejectedly; 
"  't  is  no  more  like  the  other  than  you  or  I." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  officer  sharply,  "  order,  an 
it  please  you.  We  must  proceed  with  the  examina 
tions.  Your  name,  sir !  "  turning  to  me. 

"  Merton  Balfort,"  said  I. 

"No  middle  name?" 

"  No." 

"  I  respect  that  man's  parents,"  said  Acton  in  a 
stage  whisper.  "  One  of  us  is  spared  a  middle  name." 

"  'T  is  necessary  to  have  order  here,  gentlemen," 
cried  the  officer  sharply. 

"  Quite  right,  too,"  nodded  Acton,  with  mock 
seriousness. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v    59 

"Your  home,  sir!" 

"  Massachusetts  Colony,"  said  I. 

"What  town?" 

"  Boston." 

"  The  Cradle  of  Liberty  —  next  to  Virginia,"  mur 
mured  Acton  in  his  ponderous  whisper,  which  drew 
a  smile  from  every  one  present. 

"  Lieutenant,  I  shall  clear  this  room  if  order  cannot 
be  maintained ! " 

Then  the  nervous  strain  I  was  labouring  under 
became  too  much  for  me. 

"  Sir,"  said  I,  turning  to  Acton,  "  I  beg  that  you 
will  let  the  examination  proceed.  You  asked  me  to 
call  on  you,  and  I  do  so  now." 

"  Your  age  ?  "  cried  the  examining  officer  loudly. 

"  Twenty-two." 

"  Occupation  ?  " 

"  Lieutenant  in  the  division  of  General  Israel 
Putnam." 

"  You  are  a  soldier  of  the  Colonies  ?  " 

"  Aye,  a  soldier  of  the  Colonies,"  I  said,  raising 
my  voice ;  for  't  was  beyond  me  to  keep  calm  longer 
under  this  questioning,  and,  as  I  have  already  said, 
I  was  come  to  that  frame  of  mind  where  I  cared  not 
a  whit  what  might  come  of  it  all. 

Then  fell  a  bombshell  into  that  company. 

"  I  do  not  believe  it !  "  half  muttered  the  officer. 

That  cooled  me  at  once,  and  I  replied : 

"  That  is  the  remark  of  a  coward,  sir." 

"  You  call  me  —  he  calls  me  coward,  coward !  " 
roared  the  examiner,  jumping  up  and  thumping 


60    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

his  desk,  while  a  dead  silence  fell  over  the  whole 
company. 

"  'T  is  further  the  remark  of  a  bad  officer  and  a 
weak  man." 

"God  help  me,  what  dost  say?"  cried  the  man 
again. 

"  I  say  that  I  ask  to  be  taken  to  the  commander 
of  this  fort.  'T  is  said  I  must  be  examined.  I  say 
*  Very  well,  proceed ;  examine ! '  and  you  begin  by 
giving  me  the  lie,  when,  as  man  to  man,  I  have  no 
retaliation.  You  are,  therefore,  a  weak  man  and  a 
coward.  You  say  this  instead  of  putting  to  paper 
my  examination,  for  your  superior  and  better  to  read 
and  judge.  'T  is  the  method  of  a  bad  officer.  You 
see,  Jt  is  simple  enough." 

"  That  is  a  brave  man,"  came  over  the  room  in  the 
deep  tones  I  had  heard  conversing  but  now  with 
Lieutenant  Acton.  "  He  speaks  the  truth." 

"  Why,  you  impudent  scoundrel !  "  cried  the  infuri 
ated  officer.  "  Do  you  know  whom  you  address  ?  " 
He  was  too  astonished  to  do  more  than  stare  at 
me  in  amazement.  But  I  was  bent  on  giving  vent 
to  the  hours  of  pent-up  misery  I  had  just  passed 
through,  and  it  did  my  soul  good  to  say  so. 

"  In  my  Colony,  when  there  comes  a  prisoner  and 
shows  by  his  manner  that  he  has  aught  of  importance 
to  say,  he  is  taken  to  the  commanding  officer.  Evi 
dently  the  military  discipline  of  Verplancks  is  of  a 
different  sort." 

"  Sergeant !  "  roared  the  man.  "  Sergeant !  Here, 
take  this  —  this  — "  He  fell  over  himself  in  his 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v    61 

endeavour  to  speak.  "  Take  this  —  man  away,  and 
put  him  under  guard !  " 

At  that,  two  men  stepped  forward,  and  the  un 
known  friend  of  Acton  said  in  a  cold  voice  that  seemed 
to  command  immediate  attention : 

"  Captain,  with  your  permission,  I  would  speak  a 
word  concerning  this  man." 

"  And  what  business  is  it  of  yours  ? "  demanded 
his  superior.  "  You  will  retire,  sir,  at  once ! " 

The  slightest  trace  of  a  frown  spread  over  the 
serious  face,  and  the  man  turned  even  a  little  whiter, 
while  his  voice,  calm  as  before,  seemed  to  cut  the 
air  in  the  room  with  its  decisive  tone. 

"  This  is  the  case  of  the  examination  of  a  prisoner 
taken  at  the  picket  line.  He  has  the  right  of  witness 
and  counsel.  I  act  as  both  with  my  friend,  Lieutenant 
Acton." 

I  turned  to  him  in  wonder;  but  he  fixed  his  cold 
eyes  on  the  examining  officer  and  kept  them  there. 
Every  one  instinctively  drew  up  by  the  desk,  with  that 
silent,  mysterious  movement  that  makes  no  sound  but 
means  so  much  at  times  —  the  movement  that  pre 
cedes  some  coming  event. 

"  Lieutenant  Curtis,  you  will  understand  that  you 
do  not  conduct  this  examination !  "  said  the  officer, 
trying  to  control  himself,  but  with  his  voice  rising  as 
he  proceeded.  "  I  do,  however ;  and,  by  God,  sir, 
I  '11  continue  to  do  so !  Do  you  retire  at  once,  or  I 
will  place  you  under  arrest." 

"  Oaths  have  no  place  in  an  examination,  sir.  'T  is, 
therefore,  in  bad  taste,  and  in  contradiction  to  martial 
law  —  " 


62    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

"  Sergeant/'  cried  the  examining  officer,  with 
blazing  eyes  and  flushed  cheeks. 

"  I  appear  for  this  prisoner,"  interrupted  the  im 
perturbable  man,  now  the  only  one  in  the  room  who 
appeared  perfectly  composed  and  calm. 

"  Appear  for  the  devil  in  hell,  if  you  like,  but  you 
appear  for  no  one  here ! " 

"  And  I  tell  you  that  no  law  in  this  army  permits 
you  under  such  conditions  to  tell  a  prisoner  he  is 
a  liar." 

"  Sergeant,  arrest  Lieutenant  Curtis ! "  yelled  the 
stupefied  officer. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Curtis,  turning  to  the  silent  but 
interested  spectators,  "  is  this  a  court,  or  is  it  per 
chance  a  collection  of  the  benighted  insane?"  and 
a  cold  smile  drew  back  the  corners  of  his  mouth. 
Who  or  what  was  this  remarkable  person?  He  was 
the  picture  of  a  calm,  dignified  gentleman;  and  yet 
he  defied  military  discipline,  no  matter  how  basely 
applied,  without  the  slightest  apparent  concern,  and 
all  on  account  of  a  man  whom  he  saw  now  for  the 
first  time. 

"  Sergeant,  arrest  that  man !  "  sounded  through  the 
room  again.  Every  one  waited,  and  at  last  the  ser 
geant  approached  Lieutenant  Curtis  and  saluted  him 
apologetically. 

There  was  the  space  of  an  instant,  when  the  air 
was  charged  with  portentous  possibilities,  and  then  an 
orderly  entered  and  handed  a  note  to  the  dazed  ex 
aminer,  which  he,  after  reading  with  a  reddening 
face,  threw  down  on  his  desk;  then,  turning  to  the 
sergeant,  he  cried  out: 


»    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v    63 

"  Take  the  prisoner  to  headquarters !  And  mark 
you,  Mr.  Merton  Balfort,  if  you  should  turn  out  to 
be  an  officer  of  any  —  any,  mind  ye  —  any  army  of 
the  earth,  I  '11  have  ye  out,  sir,  by  God,  I  will !  "  And 
down  came  his  fist,  spilling  the  sand  from  the  box 
by  his  inkstand  and  sounding  through  the  room. 

Something  had  happened,  surely,  for  I  was  there 
with  led  away  out  through  the  camp,  musing  on  the 
extraordinary  character  of  this  military  examination, 
but  more  especially  on  the  remarkable  man  who  had 
defied  it.  Here  and  there,  as  I  walked  along,  stood 
farmhouses  and  barns  and  any  sort  of  building 
turned  into  officers'  quarters,  or  stabling  room  for 
horses,  and  rows  of  huts  and  tents  for  the  infantry 
and  cavalry  of  Colonel  Livingstone's  command. 

It  was,  to  my  mind,  as  cleanly  a  camp,  as  good  to 
look  upon,  as  I  had  seen;  but  in  reality  there  was 
little  to  grow  gay  over  about  it.  Men  moved  here 
and  there  in  ragged  clothes,  that  bore  but  pitiable 
resemblance  to  uniforms,  and  wherever  I  got  a 
glimpse  into  a  hut  or  a  tent,  only  the  bare  neces 
sities  of  life  were  in  view.  As  I  walked  along 
between  two  soldiers,  there  came  to  me  the  two  men, 
Acton  and  his  friend,  who,  whether  according  to  the 
code  of  discipline  or  not  I  cannot  tell,  walked  by 
my  side. 

The  jovial  Acton  thanked  me  in  his  own  way  for 
the  little  service  chance  had  enabled  me  to  do  him, 
and  presented  me  to  his  friend,  Robert  Curtis.  From 
the  time  I  had  heard  the  man's  voice  he  drew  me  to 
him,  and  now  that  I  saw  his  serious  face,  marked 


64    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

by  the  lines  of  some  sorrow  or  care,  I  took  more 
and  more  to  him. 

These  two  men  spoke  to  me  each  in  his  own  way 
as  we  walked  across  the  camp.  And  each  in  his 
own  way  gave  me  the  encouragement  that  two  manly 
beings  can  impart  in  unaffected  ways.  There  was 
little  said,  but  I  knew  that  here  were  two  men  such  as 
I  had  not  yet  met  in  my  short  life. 

So  we  came  to  the  country  mansion  that  Livingstone 
used  as  his  headquarters,  and  I  was  ushered  into  the 
library,  or  office,  where  I  stood  before  the  commander 
of  the  Verplancks  detachment  of  Washington's  thin 
line  that  ran  from  Philadelphia,  by  way  of  Morris- 
town  and  West  Point,  into  New  England.  It  was 
a  detachment  ever  ready  for  a  movement  of  Clinton's, 
ever  watching;  but  to  a  close  observer,  almost  hope 
lessly  spread  out,  and  by  three  quarters  less  than 
what  it  should  have  been  in  numbers. 

"  You  have  been  insulting  my  officer,  sir,  I  see," 
said  he,  after  questioning  me  as  to  my  station  in 
life. 

"  You  are  misinformed,  sir,"  I  answered. 

"How  so?     I  am  reading  here." 

"  Any  of  the  witnesses  will  tell  you  the  facts ; " 
and  I  repeated  them. 

He  sat  a  moment,  looking  out  of  the  window  in 
some  thought,  and  then  continued: 

"  You  fired  on  a  picket.  That  is  severely  punish 
able  in  martial  law." 

"I  realise  that  fully,  sir,"  I  said.  "But  I  was 
hurrying  in  the  darkness,  and  saw  the  muzzle  of  a 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    65 

gun  suddenly  thrust  before  me.     'T  was   instinctive 
to  defend  myself." 

"These  letters,   what  are  they?" 

"  As  you  see,  sir.  One  to  me  from  General  Putnam. 
The  other  to  General  Washington,  which  you  can 
read  as  well  as  I." 

"  It  is  in  cipher.     Read  it  to  me." 

"  I   do  not  know   the  code." 

"  Then  I  can  send  it  on  to  him." 

"  In  that  case  't  will  mean  little,  as  I  am  instructed 
to  add  certain  details  to  it." 

"You  can  tell  them  to  me." 

"  With  your  pardon,  Colonel  Livingstone,  I  can 
tell  them  to  no  one  but  the  Commander-in-Chief. 
And,  sir,  these  reports  are  of  such  importance  that 
I  urge  you  to  send  me  on  to  him,  under  guard  if 
you  choose,  as  soon  as  possible.  'T  will  work  little 
harm,"  I  added,  smiling,  "  even  should  I  prove  to 
be  a  spy." 

Again  he  sat  for  some  moments  pondering.  Then, 
rising,  he  rang  a  bell,  and,  bidding  an  orderly  call 
a  Captain  Burton,  he  gave  that  officer  orders  to  have 
me  taken  to  General  Arnold. 

"  General  Arnold !  "  cried  I  involuntarily. 

"  And  why  not,  sir  ?  "  demanded  he  sharply,  turn 
ing  suddenly  upon  me  and  fixing  his  clear  eyes  on 
my  face. 

"  Why  not,  indeed,  except  tfiat  it  will  cause  un 
necessary  delay/' 

"  That  is  for  me  to  decide,"  he  answered  haughtily, 
and  turned  away  without  more  ado. 

c 


66     v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    V 

"  Ah,  friend  Balfort,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  again/' 
cried  Acton,  as  I  left  the  house  with  the  sergeant 
some  moments  later.  But  I  could  say  little  to  the 
two  who  stood  waiting  for  me,  and  within  a  short 
time  I  was  riding  north  between  two  other  horsemen 
—  a  sergeant  and  a  trooper  —  having  silently  shaken 
these  two  new  friends  by  the  hand  and  nodded  my 
farewell  to  them. 

Arnold's  headquarters  I  knew  to  be  in  the  house 
once  the  property  of  a  Tory  named  Robinson,  situ 
ated  just  across  the  Hudson  from  West  Point.  Fish- 
kill  lay  beyond,  I  knew  not  how  far.  At  this  point 
I  got  my  head  to  thinking  how  I  might  rid  myself 
of  this  escort  and  ride,  or  walk,  past  the  traitor's 
house  to  the  Commander-in-Chief. 

It  was  now  come  to  four  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
22nd.  The  attack  was  for  the  28th.  Here  lay  six 
days.  It  must  be  done.  Aye,  and  done  quickly! 
And  then  my  thoughts  turned  to  the  two  escorting  me. 
Neither  had  any  brilliancy  sitting  upon  his  brow. 
The  sergeant,  upon  my  right,  carried  the  two  papers. 
Even  now  I  could  see  them,  with  Livingstone's  de 
spatches,  bulging  from  his  pocket.  The  mien  had 
pistols  in  saddle-holsters,  and  I  had  none. 

Then  of  a  sudden  came  to  me  an  idea,  and  I  have 
to  this  day  never  discovered  how  it  turned  out  so 
well ;  for,  to  tell  honest  fact,  't  was  as  wild  a  scheme 
as  ever  entered  my  poor  head. 

It  was  just  after  this  that  my  two  companions 
began  to  discover  that  their  prisoner  was,  of  a  surety, 
no  horseman.  He  often  grasped  the  saddle  roughly; 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    67 

when  the  beast  trotted  a  bit,  the  bumping  of  the  cap 
tive  was  disgraceful ;  in  point  of  fact,  it  appeared  that 
this  prisoner  could  not  have  ridden  a  horse  six  times 
in  his  life. 

It  tickled  the  soul  of  the  cavalry  sergeant  beyond 
measure.  The  tedious  ride  contained  possibilities  of 
amusement. 

"  Ye  ain't  got  none  too  much  of  the  horseman  in 
yer  bones,  have  ye  ?  "  laughed  he  presently.  "  There 
ye  go  agin  —  ho !  ho !  "  as  the  prisoner's  horse  shied 
and  bumped  his  own  good  steed.  "  Ye  must  hold 
firmer  by  the  knees.  So !  Sit  so !  straighter !  "  and 
he  leaned  over  and  put  his  hand  on  the  other's 
shoulder. 

I  will  not  deny  that  a  certain  gleam  appeared  in 
.the  prisoner's  eye. 

."I  see!  Tis  simple,  too,"  said  the  latter.  But 
'the  beast  sidled  up  to  the  third  horseman  of  the 
party  and  pushed  him  to  the  side  of  the  road. 

"  Have  a  care,  here,  my  sportsman ! "  cried  he, 
laughing  good-humouredly. 

Now,  by  chance,  the  road  became  hilly,  and  curved 
through  the  trees  and  open  fields;  when,  without 
warning,  the  foolish  prisoner  let  go  of  the  reins  and 
grabbed  his  saddle  with  both  hands,  and  the  dis 
gusted  animal  under  him  went  here  and  there,  amidst 
the  laughter  of  the  sergeant,  who  broke  into  a  brisk 
trot,  thus  adding  to  the  amusement  of  himself  and 
his  friend.  He  drew  a  few  yards  ahead  of  the  other 
two.  Another  turn  of  the  road  was  in  sight,  when 
the  prisoner's  horse  gave  a  prodigious  leap  towards 


68    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    V 

the  trooper  near  by,  and  there  was  a  grab  at  his 
saddle  pistols.  A  report  sang  out  before  either  he  or 
his  sergeant  could  stop  laughing.  The  trooper's 
horse  turned  a  somersault  and  rolled  over  in  the 
mud  with  its  rider. 

As  the  sergeant  turned  in  his  saddle,  I  had  him 
covered  with  the  other  pistol.  He  saw  the  muzzle 
of  the  gun  not  four  feet  behind  him. 

"  Ride  on,  man !  Put  in  the  spur !  Lively  —  lively ! 
Or  you  '11  ride  to  kingdom  come !  " 

'T  would  be  untrue  to  say  that  the  humorous  ser 
geant  was  not  in  an  embarrassing  position.  If  he 
turned,  he  caught  the  glint  of  the  gun.  If  he  rode 
on,  he  must  have  felt  it  pointed  at  the  small  of  his 
back.  He  had  not  only  humour;  he  had  wisdom. 
He  obeyed  in  silence  and  rode  on. 

After  the  pace  had  been  maintained  three  or  four 
minutes,  I  bade  him  pull  up  and  came  along  by  his 
side. 

"  Hold  your  hands  above  your  head !  Now  dis 
mount —  aha!  Keep  thy  hands  up,  man!  Jump 
down!" 

This  he  did,  his  eye  never  leaving  the  opening  of 
the  barrel. 

"  Give  me  those  letters  and  your  pistol  and  sword." 

"  How  can  I,  then,  without  moving  my  hands  ?  " 

"  Move  one." 

This  was   done. 

"  Now,  sergeant,  take  off  your  clothes." 

For  an  instant  the  poor  fellow  showed  fight,  but 
't  was  useless,  and,  with  a  choking  groan,  he  took  ofiF 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    69 

his  uniform,  and  we  changed  clothes  then  and  there 
by  the  country  roadside. 

A  few  moments  later  Sergeant  Balfort,  your  hum 
ble  servant,  who  shows  his  cheap  conceit  in  telling 
this  tale  of  his  own  great  prowess,  was  riding  hard 
northward  towards  Arnold's  house  —  which  was  on 
the  way  to  Fishkill,  be  it  understood  —  and  a  country 
man  in  a  suit  of  clothes  I  was  sorry  to  lose  was 
standing  in  the  road  scratching  his  head,  while  a 
good  horse  was  running  well  down  the  road  towards 
Verplancks. 


CHAPTER  VII 

GEORGE   WASHINGTON 

IT  was  an  hour  later  that  the  horse  which  had 
brought  me  from  Verplancks  carried  me  by  the 
Robinson  house,  filled  now  with  so  much  more 
villainy  than  could  ever  have  been  there  through  a 
Tory's  principles.  Robinson,  at  least,  had  stuck  by 
his  opinions  and  acknowledged  them,  bad  as  they 
were.  But  here  was  one  who  was  professing  patriot 
ism  and  living  a  lie,  and  who,  if  I  did  not  hasten, 
would  endanger  the  existence  of  the  whole  country. 

It  was  a  further  spur  to  speed,  and  I  rode  on  the 
faster,  urging  the  animal  again  to  his  best.  By 
seven  o'clock  at  night,  with  never  a  stop  for  rest 
or  food,  we  came  up  with  the  village  of  Fishkill. 
There  was  no  difficulty  in  finding  headquarters;  but 
there  another  disappointment  awaited  me.  General 
Washington  had  left  a  few  days  before  for  Hartford. 
This  was  told  me  only  after  I  had  satisfied  an  aide 
in  charge  of  headquarters  that  I  had  pressing  busi 
ness  with  the  general. 

"How  far  may  it  be  to  Hartford?"  I  asked. 

"  Good  Lord,  man,  it 's  a  hundred  miles !  " 

"  It  matters  not.  I  must  get  there  as  soon  as  pos 
sible,"  I  said.  "  Could  you  let  me  have  a  good  horse?  " 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    71 

He  looked  at  me  for  an  instant.  Then  I  opened 
the  letter  from  Putnam  and  bade  him  read.  It  was 
quite  enough.  I  had  the  horse  in  a  few  moments, 
and  was  away  again.  The  general  had  gone  by  the 
lower  road,  which  I  learned  branched  off  the  Hudson 
River  road  just  to  the  south  of  the  village,  and  the 
clock  on  the  meeting  house  in  Fishkill  struck  nine 
as  I  finally  made  the  turn  eastward. 

The  beast  I  had  was  indeed  a  good  one,  and  he 
carried  me  steadily  and  well.  It  was  futile  to  hurry 
him  beyond  his  endurance,  for  the  good  animal  must 
keep  me  moving  for  two  days.  I  was  cooling  down 
gradually  and  gaining  my  ordinary  powers  of  reason 
ing  things  out,  and  there  were  hours  in  which  to 
reflect.  At  half  past  two  we  pulled  up  at  the  Tottern 
Arms  inn  for  a  few  moments'  rest,  for  the  good  horse 
had  not  dropped  into  a  trot  in  three  hours  and  a  half. 

It  would  seem  as  if  the  devil  had  his  hand  in  this 
business;  for  I  could  wake  no  one.  But  by  dint  of 
much  thumping  and  kicking  on  the  door  of  the  inn, 
and  a  vigorous  howling  out  for  some  one,  I  got  at  last 
a  nightcap  out  of  the  window,  and  no  very  civil  reply 
to  my  demands.  Still,  in  fifteen  minutes  or  more, 
the  door  opened,  and  I  asked  for  any  food  they  had 
while  I  put  my  questions. 

"  How  far  to  Hartford  ?  "  cried  the  tavern-keeper. 
"  Bless  my  soul,  I  don't  know !  Jennie,  how  far 
would  it  be  now  to  Hartford?  What  was  that  we 
heard  of  Hartford  last  week  ?  " 

"  Why,  them  big  officers  talked  of  it,"  answered 
a  woman  in  a  short  wrapper,  her  nightshift  showing 
beneath  it. 


72    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    ¥ 

"Who?"  cried  I.  The  dim  old  room,  lit  now  by 
a  single  candle,  prevented  my  seeing  clearly,  and  I 
approached  the  woman  so  suddenly,  so  intent  on  what 
I  had  caught,  that  she  fled  up  the  steep  stairway,  and 
could  not  be  persuaded  to  come  down  again. 

After  much  pleading,  however,  i  learned  that  sev 
eral  officers  —  one  of  enormous  stature  and  great 
eyes,  with  a  wide  mouth  and  white  periwig  —  had 
stopped  there  last  Friday,  six  days  before,  on  their 
way  to  Hartford,  evidently,  from  what  they  had  said. 

"  Good  people,"  cried  I,  standing  at  the  foot  of 
the  stairs  and  addressing  the  woman  above  and  the 
man  by  the  table,  "  good  people,  that  was  General 
Washington  and  his  staff,  and  I  must  catch  them 
within  two  days !  " 

"  No !  Ye  don't  say  so !  "  came  from  the  head  of 
the  stairs.  "  What  said  I  to  ye,  Henry  ?  Did  I  not 
tell  ye,  man,  *t  was  a  great  company,  and  you  with 
your  dirty  apron  on  at  the  time!  Lord  love  ye, 
Henry,  ye  will  never  move  up  in  life  with  ye  —  " 

"  My  dear,  good  woman,"  cried  I  again,  "  said  they 
aught  else?  Think!  Canst  remember  anything  of 
their  return  ?  " 

"  Not  much,"  grunted  the  old  lady.  "  To  think 
that  Henry  should  have  talked  with  the  great  man  in 
his  apron  and  his  old  breeks !  " 

"  What  said  they,  madam  ?  Tell  me,  and  Henry 
shall  have  a  new  apron;  aye,  and  another  pair  of 
breeks !  " 

"  Of  good  corduroy  ?  " 

"Yes,  yes!     And  two  pairs." 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    73 

"  Why  little  enough  said  they ;  but  it  seems  to  me 
that  I  did  hear  the  big  man  speak  as  how  they  'd  come 
home  by  the  upper  road." 

"  Here  —  here,  man  !  Here  's  that  will  buy  thee 
breeks  with  four  legs,  and  now,  in  God's  name,  which 
way  lies  the  upper  road  ?  " 

The  horse  was  half  done  up,  but  't  was  little  more 
than  another  quarter  of  an  hour  when  I  had,  by  their 
direction,  got  him  into  a  small  country  lane  —  rutted 
as  only  such  lanes  in  this  country  of  ours  can  be  — 
that  ran  northward,  and  should  bring  me  to  the  upper 
road. 

And  a  heartless  ride  it  was  to  join  that  highway. 
I  love  a  horse,  more  especially  a  good  one,  and  always 
have.  And  the  pace  I  put  that  good  animal  to  had 
its  effect  on  me.  I  talked  to  him.  I  let  him  drink  at 
every  stream  we  forded.  But  go  he  must,  and  did, 
at  the  long  reaching  gallop.  And  then,  with  a  sur 
prising  suddenness,  we  came  out  on  the  unmistak 
able  highway.  Off  to  the  eastward  struck  the  clang 
of  a  church  bell  —  one  —  two  —  three  —  four.  I 
turned  that  way,  and  stopped  under  a  creaking  sign 
in  the  midst  of  a  village.  Good  news  this  time !  No 
doubt  of  them ;  they  had  passed  here  the  night  before. 
Hour  after  hour  we  pushed  on,  till  at  last  we  reached 
the  great  road  running  up  and  down  the  Hudson.  It 
was  then  after  five  o'clock,  and  daylight  had  begun 
to  warm  the  morning  air.  Still  there  lay  ten  miles 
to  Fishkill. 

It  was  done  in  less  than  an  hour.  The  horse  grew 
into  my  heart  with  his  steady  nerve.  No  sign  at  head- 


74    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

quarters !  The  commander  had  been  there,  tired  and 
ready  to  rest,  when  he  had  been  called  south  to  the 
headquarters  of  the  West  Point  commander.  And 
so  on  I  went  towards  the  Robinson  house. 

It  was  close  upon  nine  o'clock  as  I  made  the  old 
house  close  under  the  side  of  Sugar  Loaf,  and  turned 
up  into  the  drive  that  led  to  the  side  door.  It  was 
patent  to  the  eye  that  something  unusual  was  going 
on.  Horses  stood  about,  held  by  orderlies.  On  the 
piazza  walked  several  officers,  aides,  as  I  guessed, 
talking  together,  and  voices  could  be  heard  from 
within.  Just  as  I  pulled  up,  came  the  pitiable  shriek 
of  a  woman. 

No  one  paid  the  slightest  attention  to  me;  and, 
dismounting,  I  started  to  run  to  the  door,  when  the 
good  horse,  who  had  carried  me  so  far,  quietly  lay 
down  without  a  groan.  I  could  not  pause,  for  I  felt 
that  if  I  stood  still  long  the  nerve  would  be  lacking 
to  set  me  moving  again.  It  does  not  behoove  a  man 
to  magnify  his  own  doings  by  telling  of  his  troubles, 
but  't  is  no  weakness  in  me  to  say  that  I  walked  into 
that  house,  pushing  aside  several  men  who  would  have 
stopped  me,  in  a  kind  of  dream.  Each  in  turn  looked 
at  me,  and  then,  as  I  pushed  him  aside  without  a  word, 
I  caught  an  exclamation,  but  met  no  further  resist 
ance  from  him. 

So  on  into  a  great,  long,  low  dining-room.  One 
look  told  me  my  chief  was  found;  the  huge,  sombre 
man,  the  great  face  with  its  sad  eyes,  the  wide,  straight 
mouth  —  there  he  stood  by  the  window.  At  the  mo 
ment  of  my  entrance  he  turned  and  said  to  a  military 


¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v    75 

companion  in  a  calm,  self-possessed  voice,  that  was 
still  full  of  grief  and  sorrow: 

"  General,  whom  can  we  trust  now  ?  " 

Then  the  three  occupants  of  the  room  turned  and 
saw  me. 

"  What  do  you  here,  sir  ?  "  asked  the  stern  voice 
of  him  just  called  "  General." 

"  I  must  speak  with  the  Commander-in-Chief  at 
once,  sir,"  I  answered. 

"  You  cannot  now.    Retire  at  once !  " 

"  One  moment,  Knox,"  said  a  deep  voice.  Then, 
turning  to  me,  Washington  added,  "  Here  he  is,  my 
man.  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  Your  Excellency,"  said  I,  looking  at  the  others, 
"  I  have  something  of  the  greatest  importance  to  say 
to  you." 

"  Well,  say  it  quickly.  These  gentlemen  may  hear 
anything  I  can." 

At  this  moment  all  heard  again  that  woman's  shriek. 
The  general's  face  was  immediately  overcast  with  a 
look  of  pain. 

"  You  said  that  some  one  was  with  Mrs.  Arnold, 
Knox,  did  you  not?"  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  General.  The  maids  are  with  her,  and  a 
man  has  gone  across  for  a  physician." 

"  Now,  young  man,  speak  up,"  said  Washington 
again. 

"  I  overheard,  night  before  last,  a  conversation, 
your  Excellency,  between — a  British  officer — Major 
Andre  —  " 

"  Who  is  captured  and  in  custody,"  interrupted 
Washington. 


76    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"And  —  and  —  "  I  hesitated. 

"Well?" 

"And  Major-General  Benedict  Arnold  — " 

"  Who  has  this  morning  escaped  to  the  British 
lines." 

"Escaped?" 

"  Escaped." 

"It  is  fate!" 

"  Sergeant,"  said  the  general  solemnly,  "  *t  is  the 
will  of  God."  This  was  spoken  in  a  voice  filled  with 
infinite  grief,  sorrow,  and  disappointment.  "  But  the 
young  soldier  is  ill,"  he  added  hastily,  for  'twas  like 
the  last  blow  of  a  week's  hardship,  and  I  grasped  the 
breakfast  table  to  steady  myself.  "  Tell  me  what  you 
heard." 

"  I  overheard  a  conversation  between  these  two 
officers,"  I  managed  to  say,  "  below  Haverstraw,  night 
before  last.  I  crossed  the  river  and  tried  to  reach  you 
at  Fishkill.  I  was  captured  at  Teller's  Point,  and 
treated  as  a  spy,  because  letters  were  found  on  me.  I 
escaped  from  the  guard,  took  a  horse,  and  have  been 
riding  since  yesterday  afternoon  to  catch  you.  You 
were  not  at  Fishkill  —  I  took  the  lower  road  for  Hart 
ford,  and  missed  you;  I  found  my  mistake,  went 
across  to  the  upper  road,  missed  you  again,  and  — 
rode  back !  I  have  covered  a  hundred  miles  since  five 
yesterday,  and  now  —  now  I  am  too  late !  It  is  fate ! 
It  could  not  have  been  otherwise !  " 

Several  exclamations  had  burst  from  the  third  oc 
cupant  of  the  room  as  I  spoke,  and  he  muttered  to 
himself  at  the  end: 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    ¥    77 

"  Mordieu,  but  that  was  a  brave  ride !  " 

"  It  must  have  been,  indeed,  Lafayette,"  said  Wash 
ington.  Then,  turning  to  me,  he  said : 

"  You  are  hungry  and  worn  out,  Sergeant.  Sit 
down  and  eat." 

"  I  have  not  eaten  in  twenty-six  hours,"  I  answered, 
"  but  I  cannot  wait.  I  must,  I  will  find  that  man  and 
bring  him  back." 

A  sudden  gleam  shot  into  the  general's  eye.  "  Pa 
tience,  young  man,  patience !  "  he  said  in  a  voice  that 
would  make  a  man  ashamed  of  his  own  weakness. 
"  We  will  find  him.  And  he  will  be  punished,  never 
fear,  whether  we  find  him  or  not,  and  you  shall  have 
your  chance!  But  who  are  you?"  And  he  looked 
at  me  with  a  glance  that  seemed  to  take  in  all  my 
thoughts. 

"  I  am  called  Merton  Balfort." 

"You  are  an  American  soldier,  too?" 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency.  I  am  a  lieutenant,  serving 
under  General  Putnam." 

"  You  have  come  from  him  recently  ?  "  asked  Wash 
ington  suddenly. 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency,  I  am  here  to  deliver  these 
two  letters  to  you  from  him ; "  and  I  handed  him  the 
two  notes. 

"  You  may  sit  down,  Lieutenant,"  said  the  general, 
as  he  took  the  letters  and  moved  towards  the  window. 
But,  whatever  the  desire  might  be,  I  would  not  sit  in 
the  presence  of  this  man. 

As  he  read  the  note  from  General  Putnam  to  my 
self,  the  chief  glanced  once  or  twice  at  me  with  a 


78    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

thoughtful  look,  and  then  went  on  reading.  Opening 
the  other  note,  and  discovering  it  to  be  in  cipher, 
he  took  a  small  book  from  his  pocket  and,  with  Gen 
eral  Knox's  assistance,  made  out  its  meaning.  As 
they  slowly  discovered  its  import,  the  two  generals 
conversed. 

"  Strange,"  said  the  commander ;  "  and  Rocham- 
beau  knew  nothing  of  this  before  yesterday." 

"  The  letter  is  dated  only  a  few  days  ago,  and  it 
speaks  of  the  affair  as  taking  place  off  Boston." 

"  True,  he  cannot  have  been  informed.  Lieuten 
ant,"  asked  Washington,  "  do  you  know  what  this 
note  speaks  of  ?  " 

"  Not  absolutely,  your  Excellency.  Only  in  a  gen 
eral  way." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  That  General  Putnam  has  advices  from  Boston, 
saying  that  British  war  ships  are  appearing  singly  off 
the  coast  here  and  there." 

"  That  is  correct." 

"  That  they  seem  to  be  combining  into  a  fleet." 

"  Also  correct,  but  a  mark  signifies  here  that  you 
will  add  something." 

"  The  general  wished  me  to  say,  your  Excellency, 
that  he  felt  sure  that  there  was  a  plan  to  retake  New 
port,  or  to  make  some  attack  on  Boston." 

"  The  note  also  says  he  advises  having  the  fleet 
watched." 

"  He  thinks  that  an  outpost  should  be  established 
beyond  Cape  Cod,  both  at  the  north  and  towards  the 
south." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    79 

"  That  sounds  reasonable  and  could  be  done,"  said 
General  Knox  thoughtfully. 

"  Evidently,"  said  the  Commander-in-Chief  to  La 
fayette,  "  it  is  a  fleet  sent  out  by  George  the  Third  to 
cope  with  Rochambeau." 

"  I  do  not  understand  M.  Rochambeau  not  having 
heard,"  answered  the  latter. 

"  He  could  not  know,  your  Excellency,"  I  inter 
rupted,  "  since  the  news  was  brought  in  by  one  of  the 
Boston  fishermen,  who  had  been  chartered  to  watch 
out  beyond  Cape  Cod." 

"  Could  such  a  watch  be  kept  up  along  the  coast?  " 
asked  Washington. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  of  it,  your  Excellency,"  said  I. 

"  Lieutenant,"  said  Washington,  after  a  moment's 
thought,  "  you  will  return  to  Colonel  Livingstone, 
and  hold  yourself  in  readiness  to  set  out." 

I  saluted,  but  hesitated,  with  a  longing  to  get  in  a 
word. 

"You  wish  to  say  something?" 

"  I  am  an  escaped  prisoner  of  the  colonel's,  and  he 
holds  me  as  a  spy.  I  was  being  sent  on  as  such  to 
General  Arnold  when  I  escaped." 

"  To  Arnold  ?  "  cried  Lafayette  with  enthusiasm. 
"  Ah,  that  is  sublime !  Sent  to  Arnold !  He  escapes 
—  he  rides  a  hundred  miles,  and  neither  eats  nor 
drinks !  Ah,  that  is  glorious,  young  man !  "  And  the 
Frenchman,  whom  I  now  knew  for  General  Lafayette, 
patted  me  gently  on  the  shoulder.  "  Glorious !  glori 
ous  !  We  should  have  such  men  in  France  to-day !  " 

"  Nay,  General,"  said  Washington  sadly ;  "  we  need 


8o    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

them  too  much  here."  Then  he  wrote  a  few  words 
on  a  bit  of  paper  and  handed  it  to  me. 

"  That  will  save  you  from  any  rough  handling." 

I  stood  for  a  moment  looking  into  the  commander's 
careworn  but  kindly  face. 

"  What !    There  is  still  something  on  your  mind  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency." 

"  Speak  out,  man !  You  have  spoken  to  such  good 
purpose  that  I  can  well  afford  to  hear  more." 

"  General  Washington,"  I  cried,  "  I  demand  per 
mission  to  recapture  that  traitor  to  the  American 
cause." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence.  The  three  gen 
erals  looked  at  one  another,  and  that  same  fierce  gleam 
came  into  the  commander's  eyes  for  another  instant. 

"  Lieutenant  Balfort,"  said  Washington  slowly  and 
solemnly,  with  that  same  sagacious  but  kindly  look, 
"  take  what  food  and  rest  you  need.  Then  return  to 
Colonel  Livingstone's  command,  and  hold  yourself 
in  readiness  night  and  day  to  set  out  on  whatever 
mission  the  success  of  our  cause  or  my  will  may 
command." 

I  saluted  and  turned  away ;  for  I  had  learned  enough 
of  this  man  by  hearsay  to  know  that  he  neither  liked 
nor  brooked  discussion. 

"  And  now,  gentlemen,"  he  added  in  that  even  tone 
that  never  seemed  to  leave  him,  "  now,  gentlemen, 
since  Mrs.  Arnold  is  ill,  and  the  general  is  not  here 
to  entertain  us,  let  us  sit  down  and  breakfast  without 
ceremony." 

I  went  into  the  open  air,  and,  as  if  to  add  the  last 


¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    81 

straw  to  my  strained  nerve,  came  upon  the  good  horse 
that  had  so  steadily,  so  bravely,  carried  me  mile  after 
mile.  His  cold  body,  bridled  and  saddled,  lying  there 
on  the  grass,  completely  unnerved  me;  and  I  sat  me 
down  on  the  porch  before  all  those  standing  there, 
and  put  my  head  in  my  arms.  A  man  can  stand  but 
so  much,  after  all. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

IN    WHICH    I   AM    BIDDEN   TO   ENTER   A  FORBIDDEN 
HOUSE 

O  you  're  stationed  with  us  now,  my  friend  ?  " 
asked  Acton  a  couple  of  days  later,  as  we  sat 
in  Lieutenant  Curtis's  quarters  in  the  upper 
story  of  Colonel  Livingstone's  house. 

I  told  him  that  he  was  right.  For,  on  presenting  the 
Commander-in-Chief's  note  to  the  colonel,  the  latter 
had  shaken  me  cordially  by  the  hand,  and  told  me  that 
no  one  could  be  more  pleased  than  he  over  the  result. 
It  turned  out  that  when  he  read  Putnam's  note,  while 
I  was  undergoing  my  first  examination  in  the  guard 
house,  he  felt  that  something  was  wrong ;  and,  realis 
ing  that  Washington  often  had  agents  at  work  whom 
no  one  else  knew,  he  had  called  me  to  him,  judged  for 
himself,  and  done  what  he  could  to  help  me  along.  It 
goes  without  saying  that  Arnold's  treason  was  as  un- 
knowri  to  him  as  to  every  one  else ;  and,  as  I  learned 
now,  if  I  had  told  him  the  whole  story,  he  would  not 
have  thought  of  believing  it. 

Then  I  had  been  placed  on  his  staff  as  an  aide,  to 
do  what  might  come  within  my  power,  while  I  awaited 
further  orders  from  General  Washington.  And  I  had 
looked  up  the  only  two  men  I  had  made  friends  with 
during  my  short  sojourn  at  the  fort.  They  appeared 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    83 

—  each  in  his  own  way  —  glad  to  have  me  with 
them  again,  the  one  boisterous  and  full  of  regard  for 
a  man  who,  however  unconsciously,  had  been  the 
means  of  saving  him  from  possible  death,  the  other 
calm,  cool,  serious,  and  reserved,  a  gentleman  to  his 
finger  tips.  Curtis,  indeed,  haunted  me  a  little  by  a 
strange  twist  which  his  face  had  now  and  again  of 
looking  familiar,  as  if  I  had  known  him  long  ago  in 
a  past  age,  when  he  wore  other  garments.  Nay,  't  was 
more  than  the  face.  The  voice,  the  little  mannerisms 
that  a  man  will  always  carry  about  him,  would  all  now 
and  then  bring  this  peculiar  prior  existence  to  my 
mind. 

Yet  it  was  all  intangible  and  curious  —  so  strangely 
so  that  I  almost  of  necessity  tried  to  learn  something 
of  his  life  and  antecedents.  Here  again  I  was  baffled. 
No  one  —  not  a  soul  in  that  regiment  —  knew  aught 
of  him  back  of  a  couple  of  years,  when  he  had  joined 
with  a  lieutenant's  commission  and  been  placed  under 
Captain  Jacob  Barnes,  who  commanded  a  company  of 
Livingstone's  foot.  Distinguished  service  had  raised 
him  to  the  colonel's  staff. 

Acton,  whom  I  immediately  came  to  look  on  as  a 
friend  —  a  friend  who  has  remained  the  same  through 
thirty-odd  years  —  told  me  what  little  I  could  learn 
of  Robert  Curtis.  He  himself  was  the  son  of  an  old 
Jamestown  Colony  family,  and  had  drifted  into  Liv 
ingstone's  regiment  through  a  Captain  Henry,  whose 
lieutenant  he  now  was.  And  it  appeared  that  Curtis 
had  little  to  do  with  any  one  but  this  one  Southern 
officer.  According  to  John,  Curtis  had  no  lack  of 


84    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v 

money,  but  spent  little  or  nothing.  The  frank  fellow, 
after  their  acquaintance  became  established,  had  asked 
his  friend  concerning  his  own  family,  and  had  been  cut 
short  by  Curtis's  gloomy  face  and  his  answer  that  he 
had  none. 

Neither  could  he  learn  where  the  young  man  came 
from,  nor  why  he  was  weighed  down  so  by  such  sor 
row  as  prevented  him  from  taking  part  in  any  of  the 
recreations  of  camp  life.  He  never  laughed;  some 
times  he  would  smile.  He  never  talked  to  any  great 
extent ;  but  on  occasion,  when  some  military  or  politi 
cal  subject  came  up,  he  could  talk  freely  and  well,  with 
the  knowledge  of  a  travelled  and  a  studied  man.  He 
lived,  in  fact,  a  life  apart  from  the  life  of  the  camp,  a 
camp  where  I  soon  found  that,  in  spite  of  the  lack  of 
money,  there  was  no  lack  of  amusement  of  every  kind. 
Yet,  withal,  Curtis  was  never  brusk;  no  one  was  too 
low  for  his  courtesy;  no  officer  could  browbeat  him 
with  the  rights  of  discipline  when  the  higher  rights 
were  on  his  side.  He  had  fought  Captain  Barnes  and 
wounded  him,  because  the  latter  had  ruined  a  country 
wench  near  by,  and  then  tried  to  browbeat  Curtis  when 
the  latter  criticised  him  to  his  face.  Several  times  he 
had,  I  learned,  called  a  superior  to  account,  as  on  the 
day  of  my  arrest. 

John  Acton,  or  Jack,  as  I,  like  all  the  world,  at  once 
called  him,  was  of  another  type.  Huge  in  size,  he  was 
big  in  every  way  —  open-hearted,  open-handed,  full 
of  a  great,  hearty  laugh,  careless  of  himself  and  all 
else,  fond  of  a  jovial  evening,  but  as  big  in  his  sense 
of  honesty  and  chivalry  as  he  was  in  stature. 


¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    85 

They  made  a  strange  pair,  these  two.  Yet,  perhaps 
by  their  very  opposites,  they  were  drawn  together.  My 
dropping  in  with  them  was  all  Acton's  doing.  Curtis 
I  should  never  have  known  otherwise;  for  he  did  his 
best  to  avoid  meeting  any  one  excepting  Acton.  Twas 
the  latter  who  took  me  to  his  heart  at  once,  and  so 
I  saw  Curtis  and  became  so  strangely  fascinated  by 
the  peculiarly  familiar  look  and  manner  he  seemed  to 
have  that,  perforce,  he  had  to  tolerate  me;  and  in  a 
few  days  I  came  to  the  habit  of  being  with  these  two 
men  whenever  we  were  off  duty. 

In  such  a  camp,  lifelong  friendships  and  enmities 
are  quickly  made,  and  the  existence  of  our  American 
officers  of  those  days,  filled  always  with  work,  was  re 
lieved  by  the  social  life  of  little  cliques  and  groups. 
Such  an  one  was  I  now  taken  into,  and  before  long 
we  three  had  agreed,  among  ourselves,  that  whenever 
occasion  arose  for  special  duty  on  the  part  of  any  one 
of  us,  that  one  would  if  possible  secure  the  other  two 
to  help  him  carry  through  the  affair. 

The  especially  important  case  in  point  was  the  cap 
ture  of  a  certain  man  called  Captain  Hazeltine.  I  had 
overheard  something  of  him  that  morning  in  the  guard 
house,  and  learned  now  that  the  man  had  become  a 
sort  of  mania  with  Curtis.  The  latter  had  distin 
guished  himself  on  several  occasions  in  carrying  out 
special  work,  and  a  direct  order  had  now  come  from 
the  Commander-in-Chief  for  Lieutenant  Curtis  to 
watch  and,  if  possible,  take  this  man.  I  learned,  too, 
that  he  was  thought  to  be  a  spy  of  Clinton's — a  Tory 
working  with  the  English,  in  other  words ;  but  that 


86    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

he  had  passed  for  a  short  time  as  a  private  agent  of 
Washington,  coming  well  recommended  from  two 
friends  in  New  York.  The  Commander-in-Chief, 
however,  with  his  unerring  sagacity,  had  finally  come 
to  suspect  the  man,  and  had  then  lost  him  of  a 
sudden. 

Curtis  had  seen  him  now  four  times,  but  never  face 
to  face,  only  in  the  darkness.  And  the  way  the  man 
had  eluded  him  had  hurt  the  young  lieutenant's  pride, 
besides  giving  his  strong,  serious  nature  a  difficult  task 
that  fitted  into  his  desire  for  hard  labour  of  any  sort. 

"  I  '11  come  up  with  the  man,  if  it  takes  the  powers 
of  hell  to  do  it,"  he  declared  one  night,  after  we  had 
spent  the  evening  covering  a  bit  of  the  country  to  the 
eastward  of  Teller's  Point. 

"  Egad,  Rob,  I  pity  him,"  cried  Acton,  "  for  ye  '11 
come  up  with  him  some  day,  and  then  will  there  be  a 
short  but  unpleasant  hour  for  him." 

"  If  ever  I  meet  him,"  said  the  other  calmly,  "  't  will 
be  a  short  affair,  for  't  is  between  him  and  me  now ; 
and,  if  you  '11  believe  it,  I  'm  blessed  if  I  do  not  think 
he  knows  it." 

"  Ye  '11  do  it,  by  Gad,  Rob,  ye  '11  do  it,  sure !  "  said 
the  other  with  that  boundless  confidence  of  an  open, 
enthusiastic  nature  in  one  who  is  always  reserved  and 
unenthusiastic  to  a  fault. 

So  in  the  ten  days  that  followed  my  arrival  we  spent 
half  the  time  scouring  the  country,  looking  for  this 
ghost  with  the  cape  coat  and  the  phantom  horse.  To 
confess  truth,  I  had  some  doubts  of  the  importance  of 
the  work,  which  showed  how  little  I  knew  of  the  in- 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    87 

triguing  and  under-current  work  going  on  at  this 
otherwise  strangely  stagnant  period  of  the  war.  'Twas 
on  such  an  expedition  that  Acton  had  nearly  lost  his 
life  when  I  chanced  along ;  and,  in  fact,  't  was  no 
child's  play  to  roam  about  the  country  to  the  south 
of  us,  infested  as  it  was  with  all  the  outlaws  of  the 
northern  part  of  the  Colonies. 

These  villains  preyed  on  any  one,  and  we  were  good 
meat  for  them.  Two  or  three  running  fights  we  had 
in  these  ten  days,  as  it  was,  but  without  results  of  any 
kind,  save  the  lesson  of  knowing  when  to  run  away. 
Yet  could  Acton  never  get  this  better  part  of  valour 
into  his  head ;  for  't  was  always  a  hard  task  to  make 
him  retire.  As  on  the  day  I  first  met  him,  he  would 
brighten  up  at  the  prospect  of  a  fight,  and  would  tackle 
any  number  of  Skinners  that  might  fall  in  with  us 
with  a  laugh  on  his  lips  and  joy  in  his  heart.  And 
then,  when  we  had  finally  got  him  away,  once  actually 
leading  his  horse  against  his  will,  he  would  curse  us 
roundly  for  an  hour,  and  then  beg  our  pardon! 

Yet  with  all  this  the  time  dragged  with  me,  for  I 
had  hoped  to  get  a  commission  to  search  for  Arnold, 
and  each  day  that  passed  made  this  more  hopeless. 
Once  we  heard  that  he  lay  in  New  York ;  again,  that 
he  had  gone  to  England ;  still  again,  that  he  had  joined 
Cornwallis  in  the  South.  I  had,  of  course,  told  my 
story  to  my  two  friends,  and  we  had  here  again  agreed 
to  work  together,  should  I  ever  gain  permission  to  go 
forth  in  search  of  him.  The  idea  brought  more  life  and 
colour  to  Curtis's  face  than  anything  I  had  witnessed 
since  making  his  acquaintance;  for,  cool  though  he 


88    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

was  and  little  given  to  enthusiasm,  this  was  a  work 
after  his  own  heart.  In  fact,  his  mind  seemed  gradu 
ally  to  settle  upon  that,  too,  as  a  piece  of  work  he  must 
have  a  hand  in. 

Then,  too,  my  mind  would  continually  hark  back  to 
a  face  that  would  not  down  from  my  thoughts,  and  I 
wondered  night  after  night  as  I  lay  in  my  bed  —  for 
the  colonel's  aides  actually  did  have  beds  —  what  she 
did  now,  and  now;  where  she  was;  what  might  be 
her  sorrow  and  trouble  that  had  taken  her  from  her 
home,  and  why  fate  should  have  set  the  insurmount 
able  barrier  of  a  great  war  between  us.  Of  the  episode 
of  Gowan's  Tavern  in  which  one  James  Marvin  had 
taken  so  significant  a  part,  I  thought  but  little  and 
spoke  not  at  all,  because,  indeed,  it  meant  naught. 
And  yet  't  was  a  strange  satisfaction  that  would  run 
through  my  blood,  to  think  that  this  one  unknown 
woman  of  all  others  in  the  world  had  stood  beside  me 
there,  had  ridden  with  me  the  next  morning,  and, 
whatever  she  might  have  felt,  had  certainly  trusted  me. 
If  I  could  see  her  once  again,  under  happy  circum 
stances  !  If  I  could  watch  the  sudden  changes  of  mood 
fly  one  after  another  across  her  fair  face!  Aye,  if  I 
could!  If  I  could!  If  — 

And  in  walked  Curtis  with  his  usual  careless  step 
and  undisturbed  countenance,  to  say: 

"  Get  your  kit  together,  lad.  We  go  on  something 
worth  while  this  night." 

Without  a  word,  I  took  my  sword  from  the  corner 
and  got  pistol  and  boots  ready.  'T  was  only  a  moment, 
and  we  went  over  to  his  room,  where  sat  Jack  Acton, 
ready  as  well. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    89 

"  We  take  twenty  men,  and  ride  south.  Are  you 
ready?" 

"  Why  twenty  men,  Rob?  "  asked  Acton.  "  Let  us 
do  it  alone,  whatever  it  may  be." 

"  We  shall  need  them  all.  Nothing  more  here.  The 
walls  can  hear  and  talk  of  it." 

"  Still,  I  do  not  see,"  went  on  the  big  fellow ;  but 
he  followed  after. 

Outside,  over  by  the  barracks,  with  his  usual  pre 
cision,  Curtis  pointed  out  to  us  the  troop  of  twenty 
men,  ready  mounted,  and  our  horses  standing  by.  I 
was  up  on  Roger  at  once,  for  I  had  the  dear  old  nag 
again  safe  and  sound.  And  we  rode  away  south,  giv 
ing  the  word  and  a  greeting  to  the  pickets  as  we  passed 
out  of  camp  into  the  night  and  the  uncertain  neutral 
country.  The  command  had  been  passed  along  for 
silence,  and  so  we  rode  hour  by  hour  steadily  south 
ward,  until  by  the  distance  my  heart  began  to  beat 
faster,  for  by  now  I  had  begun  to  know  the  country, 
and  I  saw  we  must  be  fast  nearing  a  certain  fated 
house.  If  I  could  but  see  her  once ! 

"  This  way,  Jack  and  Balfort,"  said  Curtis  out  of 
the  darkness;  and  we  moved  a  hundred  yards  in  ad 
vance  of  the  troop.  "  We  are  getting  near  the  place." 

"  And  I  should  like  to  know  —  "  began  Acton. 

"  Why  we  are  here  ?  Well,  listen.  There  is  an  im 
pression  that  an  attempt  has  been  planned  to  recapture 
Andre,  who  was  to  have  been  taken  to-night  down  this 
side  of  the  river  and  carried  over  to  the  other  bank,  on 
his  way  to  Tappan  for  trial.  The  colonel  had  word 
from  headquarters  this  evening,  at  six,  that  the  plans 
are  changed. 


9° 


NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  — 


"  Andre  goes  from  West  Point  without  crossing, 
and  we  are  to  take  the  British  squad,  or  troop,  that  will 
come  here  to  take  him.  They  may  be  on  hand  now. 
They  may  not  come  till  later,  as  the  prisoner  was  to 
cross  about  four  in  the  morning.  At  all  events,  the 
meeting,  or  place  of  concealment,  will  be  in  a  house 
here  at  Gowan's  Ferry,  which  I  will  show  you."  My 
heart  gave  a  double  jump  as  he  went  on:  "  We  shall 
divide  into  three  parties,  one  going  south,  one  eastward, 
and  the  other  making  an  attempt  to  enter  the  house." 

"  Give  me  the  house,  Curtis,"  said  I  quickly ;  "  I 
want  work  badly." 

He  said  nothing,  and  we  moved  on ;  when,  as  if  by 
magic,  I  recognised  in  the  darkness  the  wood-lined 
road,  and  in  another  moment,  coming  out  into  the  open, 
I  knew  the  house  where  I  had  last  seen  Deborah 
Philipse.  Turning  to  Curtis  to  urge  my  point  now 
with  added  fervour,  I  caught  a  fierce  yet  mournful  look 
in  his  face  as  he  gazed  with  wide  eyes  at  the  old  man 
sion,  and  the  request  froze  on  my  lips.  He  looked  long 
as  we  waited  for  the  troop  to  come  up,  and  then,  as  if 
by  an  effort,  turned  his  face  towards  me  and  said : 

"  Balfort,  take  six  men  and  enter  that  house,  if  you 
can.  Once  there,  conceal  your  men  and  take  anything 
and  anybody  who  tries  to  enter.  I  go  south  to  meet 
them  with  six  troopers,  and  Acton  will  cover  the  coun 
try  to  the  eastward  with  the  others." 

I  said  not  a  word,  but,  as  I  picked  the  sergeant  and 
five  men,  I  fervently  and  silently  thanked  heaven. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE   REAL   MOUSE    IN   THE   TRAP 

I     COULD    not   help   wondering,    after   my   two 
friends  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  at  the  pecu 
liar  chance  of  fate,  or  whatever  one  might  wish 
to  call  it,  that  left  me  now  standing  here  by  the  house 
I  had  so  longed  to  enter  but  a  few  short  days  ago,  with 
orders  now  to  enter  it,  but  the  inclination  to  do  so  gone. 
Gone,  did  I  say?    Nay,  hardly  that,  for  if  any  one  of 
us  entered  there,  it  must  be  I ;  and,  whatever  might  be 
the  real  reason  of  her  going  there,  I  could  not  let  her 
be  taken  in  arrest  as  a  common  spy. 

Why  she  should  be  there  now,  I  did  not  want  to 
guess.  And,  indeed,  the  doubt  of  it  growing  on  me, 
I  turned  to  the  sergeant  of  the  troop  and  looked  him 
over :  a  grizzly  bearded  old  campaigner,  used  to  wars, 
but  honest  and  a  stalwart  Colonial,  I  'd  be  bound. 
T  was,  in  fact,  the  picket  who  had  taken  me  the  night 
I  reached  Teller's  Point.  What  would  he  do  with 
Mistress  Philipse,  if  he  found  her  there?  I  did  not  like 
to  think,  but  spoke  to  him  instead : 

"  Callahan,"  said  I,  "  know  ye  why  we  're  here?  " 
"  That  I  do  not,  liftinint,"  said  he.    "  I  am  ordered 
here,  and  here  I  be.    Indade,  sir,  I  've  outgrown  askin' 
quistions." 


92    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  You  can  keep  your  mouth  shut  well  ?  " 

"Ask  the  liftinint,"  and  he  jerked  his  thumb  over 
his  shoulder  towards  the  departing  troop. 

"  Good !  Remember  that,  should  the  time  come !  — 
take  now  two  men  and  go  around  that  house  to  the  left. 
Leave  two  more  here  concealed  near  the  road,  and  let 
the  other  go  with  me  to  the  right." 

"  Aye,  sir." 

"  We  must  enter  that  house,  search  it,  get  what  may 
be  inside,  and  lie  low  for  more.  And  look  sharp,  for 
't  is  like  there  be  no  less  than  a  dozen  red-coats  there 
now,  watching  for  us." 

"  Aye,  sir,"  said  he,  saluting  again. 

"If  you  hear  or  see  aught,  leave  a  man  and  make 
a  wide  circuit  till  you  meet  me." 

So  we  started  away,  crawling  on  our  stomachs  and 
keeping  a  bright  eye  on  the  gloomy  house  that  ap 
peared  to  be  dark  from  top  to  bottom,  and  that  con 
tained  God  knew  what. 

Fortunately  for  us,  there  had  grown  up  a  wealth  of 
underbrush  on  all  sides,  and  by  keeping  well  within 
this  I  turned  the  first  corner,  skirted  the  broad  side  of 
the  square  mansion,  and,  nothing  appearing  amiss, 
moved  slowly  and  laboriously  on,  turning  the  second 
corner. 

There  at  last  was  a  light  shining  from  an  open  win 
dow  in  what  appeared  to  be  a  room  adjoining  the 
kitchen,  in  an  ell,  or  extension,  of  the  house  itself. 
Soon  I  was  up  to  it,  and,  seeing  it  unoccupied,  made 
bold  to  enter,  sending  one  man  to  call  the  others  with 
Callahan. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    93 

Silence  reigned  throughout  the  house  and  nothing 
changed  in  the  few  moments  that  passed  till,  silently, 
one  by  one,  the  five  men  and  Callahan  slid  over  the  sill 
and  stood  waiting  my  instructions. 

"  Some  one  is  here,  or  this  is  a  trap,"  said  I,  in  a 
whisper.  "  We  must  act  quickly,  or  be  caught  our 
selves." 

"  'T  is  simple  enough,  sir,"  said  the  old  man,  coolly. 

"And  how?" 

"  Lay  another  thrap.    An  ye  '11  give  me  lave  —  " 

"  Go  on,"  said  I  quickly. 

"  You,  Durgin,"  ordered  Callahan  of  one  of  his  men, 
"  git  out  o'  that  winder  into  the  grass,  and  give  us 
warnin'  wid  a  tap  on  the  glass  ef  annything  turns  up. 
You,  Ballard,  shut  the  winder  and  draw  thim  curtins, 
and  do  yez  stand  by  to  git  the  signal.  You  two  take 
thim  two  doors  and  douse  annywan,  the  divil  cares 
who,  that  shows  his  red  nose  through.  Douse  him  wid 
yer  coats  over  the  head  and  when  ye  git  him,  stick  yer 
knee  in  the  pit  of  his  stomach,"  all  this  in  a  whisper, 
with  a  quick  look  here  and  there,  and  gestures  that 
alone  told  what  he  wanted.  "  An'  now,  yer  honour, 
we'll  take  this  door  that  goes  God  knows  where  — 
st!  Phwat  the  divil 's  that?" 

'T  was  a  step  coming  along  the  hall,  a  light,  stealthy, 
though  quick  step.  In  a  moment  Callahan  and  I  were 
behind  the  door,  and  my  cape  was  ready  in  his  hands, 
held  at  the  height  of  a  man's  head.  Each  of  the  others 
had  taken  his  position  silently  as  soon  as  he  got  his 
orders. 

There  was  a  moment  of  suspense  as  the  steps  came 


94    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v 

towards  the  door.  Then  the  door  itself  swung  open 
and  in  an  instant  Callahan  was  on  the  ground  on  top 
of  some  one,  with  the  cape  wound  around  the  new 
arrival's  head. 

"  The  Saints  deliver  me !  "  muttered  the  old  man. 
"  Divil  take  me,  but  it  's  a  woman !  " 

And,  sure,  't  was  so.  For  the  door  being  again 
quietly  closed,  we  carried  her  to  the  light,  and  found 
a  woman,  speechless  with  terror,  gazing  with  a  fas 
cinated  glare  down  the  barrel  of  Callahan's  pistol. 

"  Do  not  utter  a  sound,  or  you  will  be  dead !  "  said 
I,  sternly.  But  she  did  not  appear  to  take  note  of 
anything  but  the  pistol. 

"  Who's  in  this  house?"  I  asked. 

No  answer  or  move  on  her  part. 

I  knocked  up  the  sergeant's  pistol,  much  to  his 
disgust,  and  touched  her. 

"Who  is  in  this  house?" 

She  looked  at  me  in  a  stupid,  clownish  way,  and  then 
of  a  sudden  out  came  a  lot  of  gibberish  that  meant 
naught  to  either  of  us. 

"  Phwat  's  that  she  says  ?  "  asked  Callahan.  "  She  '11 
wake  the  dead ! "  And  he  doused  her  again  with  the 
cape,  until  she  lay  quiet.  Then  we  repeated  the  action 
with  the  pistol  and  she  sat  silent  as  before.  But  I  had 
caught  enough  to  know  that  she  spoke  French. 

Here  we  were,  stumped !  Not  one  of  us  knew  a 
word  of  the  lingo,  and  I  could  do  naught  but  put  my 
ringer  on  my  mouth  and  vigorously  shake  my  head. 
French  —  a  French  maid  —  Mistress  Philipse's  maid, 
no  doubt.  Was  she  a  bait?  We  should  soon  see. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    95 

But  I  must  speak  with  her  mistress  first,  and  alone. 
All  this  passed  in  a  moment  through  my  mind.  I  bade 
Callahan  keep  the  woman  close,  saying  that  I  was 
going  to  explore  the  house,  and  he  was  to  give  me 
warning  of  any  new  arrival,  or  danger,  by  a  low 
whistle. 

So  I  left  the  dimly  lighted  room  and  found  myself 
in  a  cross  hall  that  led  again  into  the  main  hall  of  the 
house.  Keeping  close  to  the  wall,  I  worked  slowly 
and  as  silently  as  possible  around  the  hall,  finding  four 
great  dark  and  silent  rooms,  in  which  the  ghostly  fur 
niture  stood  piled  in  the  centre.  No  sign  nor  sound 
of  living  being  appeared.  Then,  coming  to  the  great 
stairway,  I  drew  my  sword  and,  holding  a  pistol  in  the 
left  hand,  mounted  cautiously  to  the  second  story. 

Here  again  were  more  rooms,  open,  but  vacant. 
Under  the  sill  of  a  door  leading  into  the  wing  was 
what  seemed  to  be  a  faint  light.  The  door  opened, 
but  in  doing  so  it  creaked  with  a  sound  that  seemed  to 
echo  all  over  the  house.  Directly  opposite,  across  an 
other  small  hall,  was  a  door,  half  opened,  leading  into 
a  lighted  room,  and  on  the  instant  a  voice  said  some 
thing  in  French. 

'T  is  ever  the  fact  that  what  is  expected  is  like  to  be 
the  greatest  surprise,  and  to  recognise  that  voice  now, 
knowing  it  must  come  some  time,  gave  me  a  sickening 
of  the  heart  that  kept  me  silent. 

"  Well,  Adele  ?  "  said  the  voice  again,  louder  than 
before. 

"  T  is  not  Adele,  Mistress  Philipse,  but  I,  Merton 
Balfort.  May  I  enter?" 


96    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v 

There  came  a  sudden  exclamation  and  a  step,  and 
the  door  stood  wide  open.  There  she  stood  in  a  long 
wrapper,  with  her  hair  down  about  her  shoulders,  — 
taller  by  inches,  I  remember  noticing  even  then. 

"  What  do  you  here,  sir  ?  "  said  she,  gazing  at  me. 

For  answer  I  stepped  into  the  room,  took  the  door 
handle  from  her,  closed  the  door  with  as  little  noise  as 
possible,  and  looked  at  her. 

"  Who  are  you,  and  what  mean  you  by  coming  thus 
into  my  house  ?  "  she  asked  haughtily,  standing  away 
from  me  and  drawing  her  gown  together  at  the  neck. 
Aye,  the  girl  was  beautiful  under  all  conditions,  for 
here  she  was  gazing  at  me  like  a  queen  whose  hallowed 
privacy  had  been  soiled  with  sacrilege. 

"  You  know  me  well,  Mistress  Philipse,"  said  I, 
"  and  need  have  no  fears  of  me." 

"  I  know  nothing  of  you,  sir,  nor  do  I  fear  you.  But 
I  bid  you  leave  this  room  and  this  house  at  once,  unless 
you  are  a  highwayman  come  to  rob  a  defenceless 
woman." 

"  You  know  well  that  is  not  the  case.  Will  you  be 
seated?" 

"No!    I  will  not!" 

"  I  have  something  to  say  to  you  —  " 

"  And  I  will  no  longer  remain  in  your  presence,"  and 
she  made  as  if  to  leave  the  room.  But  I  stepped  before 
her,  my  own  temper  beginning  to  rise  at  this  denial  of 
an  acquaintance  which,  one  would  think,  she  at  least 
might  recall. 

"  Mistress  Philipse,  I  am  sorry  to  be  under  the  ne 
cessity  of  asking  you  to  remain.  I  am  obliged  to  ask 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    97 

"  You  need  not  ask,  sir.  For  I  will  not  answer  a 
single  question." 

"  Sit  down,  mistress/'  said  I  sternly.  It  is  to  this 
day  a  marvel  to  me  how  this  chit  of  a  girl  could  rouse 
my  anger  by  her  very  calmness.  She  did  not  move, 
but  said  with  fine  scorn: 

"  You  are  then  a  highwayman,  I  see,"  and,  following 
her  glance,  I  flushed  to  find  myself  standing  before  her 
with  a  drawn  sword  in  one  hand  and  a  pistol  in  the 
other.  One  was  sheathed  and  the  other  put  up  in  a 
moment,  but  I  was  upset  and  said  nothing  for  a  space. 

"  Who  is  in  this  house  besides  yourself  and  your 
maid?" 

"  An  infamous  scoundrel !  Perchance  —  aye,  no 
doubt  —  a  highwayman !  a  man  who  has  neither  sense 
of  decency,  nor  honour,  who  —  " 

"  Who  beside  him?    Tell  me!  "  I  cried. 

"  I  will  not  speak  with  you  further.  You  do  not 
dare  to  remain  in  my  presence  longer !  "  said  she,  her 
voice  rising  in  anger  and  wounded  pride,  and  begin 
ning  to  quiver  with  nervousness. 

"  Madam,  you  will  some  day  regret  your  words," 
said  I,  hastily.  "  I  am  here  to  protect  you  "  —  an  in 
voluntary  exclamation  escaped  her  —  "  to  protect  you 
from  being  arrested  as  a  spy.  This  house  is  full  of 
British  soldiers,  who  are  "  — 

"  Ah !  "  cried  she,  at  that ;  "  let  them  come  to  me 
now,  then,"  and  she  rushed  by  me  and  grasped  the 
door  to  open  it.  But  I  caught  her  as  she  cried  out, 
and  put  my  hand  over  her  mouth  and  lifted  her  from 
the  ground,  setting  her  down  in  a  large  chair  by  the 

7 


98     v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v 

table.  The  result  was  enough  to  distract  any  man. 
For  she  burst  into  tears,  and,  looking  up  and  stamp 
ing  her  foot  in  helpless  rage,  she  cried: 

"  Are  you  not  ashamed  to  maltreat  a  woman,  who 
is  helpless!  Are  you  not  ashamed!  Oh,  had  I  a 
strong  arm  to  strike  you  down  now,  making  war  on 
a  weak  woman !  " 

I  was  on  my  knees  at  her  feet  in  a  moment,  and 
took  her  hand  in  mine  in  my  excitement. 

"  Dear  child,"  cried  I,  "  God  forgive  me !  Some  day 
you  will  understand  and  forgive  me  too.  I  cannot  do 
aught  else.  If  you  will  but  give  me  your  word !  Be 
lieve  me,  believe  me,  I  would  not  touch  a  hair  of  your 
head,  but  tell  me  truthfully  is  this  house  occupied  by 
British  soldiers?  Nay,  do  not  move  away!  I  —  I 
must  trust  you.  Listen !  There  is  an  attempt  to  take 
Andre  —  this  house  is  the  rendezvous  —  tell  me  you 
know  naught  of  it !  Oh,  't  is  useless  to  try  to  escape. 
I  have  the  house  surrounded  with  my  men;  but  tell 
me  you  know  naught  of  it,  that  I  may  protect  you 
from  my  own  people !  Do  you  not  see  ?  You  will  be 
arrested  as  a  spy !  "  She  was  sobbing,  convulsively, 
and  I  could  not  stop  her.  I  knew  not  what  to  do, 
and  in  the  bewilderment  I  found  myself  kissing  the 
hand  that  lay  in  mine,  and  begging  her  to  stop. 

Still  she  sobbed  on.    I  was  near  at  my  wits'  ends. 

"  Stop !  stop !  mistress ;  for  the  love  of  Heaven, 
listen  to  me !  Well,  so  be  it !  "  —  for  she  was  almost 
hysterical  in  her  weeping ;  —  "so  be  it,"  said  I,  rising 
and  moving  away.  "  There  is  the  door.  Go  out 
and  down  into  the  very  arms  of  my  men  and  be 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    99 

taken  to  West  Point  as  a  spy  in  the  employ  of  the 
British." 

She  was  on  her  feet,  running  wildly  to  the  door, 
that  now  stood  open ;  and  I  waited  to  hear  the  result, 
when  she  stopped,  as  if  turned  to  stone,  for  a  long, 
low  whistle  came  to  our  ears  from  below.  I  jumped 
to  her  side  and  grasped  her  arm. 

"  Tell  me,  girl,  do  you  know  aught  of  British  in 
this  house?" 

"  No,"  said  she,  looking  at  me  in  wonder. 

"Then  listen!" 

Again  came  the  low  whistle  from  the  hall  below. 
I  gave  the  signal  back. 

"  That  signal  says  that  some  one  is  approaching 
this  house.  Now,  if  you  do  not  believe  in  me  and  do 
what  I  tell  you,  we  shall  none  of  us  have  long  to  live. 
I  served  you  truly  once.  Trust  me  again !  "  and  I  ran 
to  the  light  and  blew  it  out.  In  the  sudden  darkness 
I  found  her  and  grasped  her  hand.  She  let  it  lie  in 
mine,  while  both  listened  for  the  next  sound  that 
might  come.  Gradually  the  slight  moonlight  gave  us 
some  light  in  the  room,  and  I  turned  towards  her. 

"  Will  you  give  me  your  word  not  to  give  any  sign 
or  make  any  noise  ?  " 

She  did  not  reply. 

"  I  must  go  downstairs;   will  you  give  it?" 

Still  no  sign. 

"  Then  I  must  trust  to  your  sense  of  justice  and 
honour." 

I  could  not  see  her  face,  but  I  knew  I  was  needed 
below ;  and  so,  letting  her  hand  fall,  I  moved  quickly 


ioo   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v 

to  the  door.  Some  slight  sound  made  me  turn  as  I 
reached  it,  and  I  was  in  the  nick  of  time  to  see  her 
stealing  swiftly  towards  the  window.  With  a  bound 
I  reached  her,  just  as  she  raised  the  sash,  and  before 
I  could  stop  her  she  had  cried  out.  Then  the  pity  of 
it  all  came  over  me,  for  the  frail  little  creature  began 
to  struggle. 

"  Mistress  Philipse,  I  am  here  to  do  my  duty !  There 
be  twenty-five  men  and  three  officers  within  call.  You 
cannot  possibly  help  the  British!  They  are  doomed 
now !  But  I  cannot  —  God  forgive  me,  I  will  not 
struggle  with  you!  There  is  but  one  other  alterna 
tive.  Here  is  a  pistol ;  you  can  easily  see  me.  Shoot 
quick  and  straight;  for  I  will  not  go  down,  or  take 
you  down  to  those  men !  "  She  took  the  revolver. 
"  If  you  fire  it  without  hitting  me,  I  shall  use  this  one 
on  myself !  " 

Slowly  she  raised  the  pistol  —  I  could  see  as  plain 
as  day,  now  —  slowly  she  pointed  it,  first  at  my  body, 
then  at  my  throat,  then  my  head.  And  it  came  into 
my  mind  that  my  hour  was,  indeed,  come;  but  there 
was  no  trouble  in  my  mind ;  for  if  I  must  go,  I  would 
go  by  her  hand,  and  that  was  as  it  should  be.  I 
looked  her  steadily  in  the  eye  for  a  time,  and  then 
the  shining  thing  dropped  with  a  clatter  to  the  floor, 
and  she  stood  still  looking  into  my  face. 

How  long  we  stood  thus,  I  could  not  tell;  but  we 
both  started  as  a  voice  came  from  outside  the  door, 
whispering  to  me: 

"  Are  ye  there,  liftinint  ?  " 

"Yes.    What  is  it,  Callahan?" 


NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    101 


"  There  's  twilve  min  a-comin'  over  the  hill  at  the 
back  of  the  house." 

"  Go  down  again  and  work  your  trap  on  them.  Let 
in  half,  and  cover  the  others.  Let  them  have  it,  if 
anything  sudden  occurs." 

"  Yes,  sir.     Have  ye  found  annywan  ?  " 

"  Not  a  man !  But  I  have  not  yet  covered  the  whole 
house.  There  's  some  one  in  the  back  of  the  house 
here.  Go  down !  I  '11  be  with  you  in  an  instant." 

I  heard  him  mutter  something  about  coming  down 
now,  but  he  went  away,  and  we  could  hear  his  step 
creak  on  the  stair. 

"  Do  you  understand  now  ?  "  I  asked  in  a  whisper. 

She  nodded  her  head. 

"Will  you  trust  to  me?" 

Again  she  nodded. 

"  Will  you  —  will  you  try  to  forgive  me  ?  " 

"'  I  cannot !  I  cannot !  "  she  murmured,  and  sank 
back  into  the  chair.  "  You  have  no  right  to  treat  a 
woman  so.  They  are  my  people,  too,  trying  to  rescue 
a  brave  man  —  a  man  I  know !  " 

"  They  can  do  nothing  for  him.  He  will  not  come 
this  way,  and  is  even  now  safe  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river.  'T  is  absolutely  hopeless,  mistress !  "  Though, 
in  good  truth,  it  was  not  so  hopeless  as  it  might 
seem. 

So  she  stood  a  moment;  and  then  I  left  her,  and 
stole  softly  towards  the  door. 

"  Do  not  go  down,"  came  to  me  in  hurried  tones, 
as  she  moved  after  me.  "I  —  I  do  not  want  —  I 
do  not  dare  to  stav  here  alone !  " 


io2    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  But  I  must  go  down  to  take  command  of  the  men. 
I  have  stayed  here  too  long  as  it  is." 

"  I  beg  you  to  stay !     I  cannot  stay  here  alone !  " 

"  You  ?  "  cried  I,  under  my  breath.  "  You,  who 
have  lain  here  night  after  night  alone  ?  "  and  with  a 
puzzled  feeling  in  my  brain  I  looked  hard  at  her  in 
the  dim  light.  Could  she  be  trying  to  help  her  men 
by  keeping  me  away  from  mine?  Yet  she  was  not 
of  the  kind  that  feared  anything  of  this  sort. 

She  came  and  touched  my  arm. 

"  Please  stay  here  by  me ;  "  she  was  actually  plead 
ing.  Either  she  had  suddenly  changed  or  I  had  lost 
my  wits.  It  could  not  be.  Something  lay  beneath 
this. 

"  There  is  no  fear  in  you,"  said  I,  taking  her  hand 
from  my  sleeve,  and  moving  quickly  to  the  door,  and 
through  it  into  the  hall.  I  heard  a  stifled  exclamation 
break  from  her;  but  my  mind  was  made  up.  She 
had  something  to  conceal,  and,  bitter  at  the  thought, 
I  stole  softly  to  the  head  of  the  stairs. 

But  it  was  not  to  be.  Even  as  I  got  to  the  top  step 
a  long  line  of  light  spread  out  from  under  the  stair 
way,  and,  leaning  over,  I  saw  a  strange  sight  that 
might  well  have  stirred  her,  or  any  woman,  or  yet 
man,  for  the  matter  of  that.  The  light  came  from  an 
open  panel  beneath  the  stairs,  and  as  I  stood  there, 
shooting  my  long  nose  over  the  rail,  one  —  two  — 
three — six — aye,  eight — men  stepped  silently  forth, 
one  after  the  other,  into  the  hall. 

The  leader,  a  man  in  a  long  cape  coat,  held  a  shaded 
lanthorn  in  his  hand;  and  the  others,  evidently  by 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    103 

prearranged  design,  spread  out,  each  gliding  silently 
into  a  room,  while  two,  the  leader  and  another,  moved 
swiftly  to  the  stairs,  and  began  to  ascend. 

"  So !  "  said  I,  bitterly,  though  in  a  low  voice,  as  I 
stepped  into  the  room.  "  So  that  is  it,  madam !  You 
have,  indeed,  set  me  a  pretty  trap;  and  a  fool  like 
me  is  none  too  wise,  but  must  needs  fall  into  it.  Well, 
mistress,  I  am  sorry ;  but  you  shall  see  —  " 

On  the  instant  the  room  became  light,  and  I  saw 
that  she  had  lit  the  tallow  dip. 

"  Hide  here  in  the  curtains,  quick !  "  she  whispered. 
"  Do  so  quick !  quick !  " 

'T  was  some  instinct  in  me  that  made  me  glide  be 
hind  the  heavy  curtains  by  the  open  window,  as  the  tall 
cloaked  figure  stepped  in.  I  could  see  naught,  but 
as  he  entered  I  heard  an  exclamation  break  from  him : 

"  So  ho !  my  runaway  wench,"  cried  he,  "  and  here 
you  are  in  papa's  old  house,  and  in  the  midst  of  a 
conspiracy ! " 

"  I  know  not  what  you  mean,  but  I  would  know, 
sir,  by  what  right  you  follow  me  here,  and  by  what 
right  you  dare  to  come  into  my  chamber  in  this 
fashion." 

"  Easily  told  and  explained,  Mistress  Debby !  I  sus 
pected  we  would  run  you  here  to  earth,  and  so  I  came 
to  find  papa's  daughter  and  bring  her  to  her  home 
and  to  her  wits." 

"  I  will  do  what  I  choose ;  and  I  do  not  choose  to 
receive  you,  nor  will  you  take  me  hence." 

"  Indeed,  and  I  will,  Debby !  And  do  you  make 
ready  now  in  some  garment  fit  for  a  horse's  back,  and 


io4    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

prepare  to  come  with  me  on  the  minute.  I  like  not  this 
territory.  JT  is  too  near  our  rebels  for  comfort.  And, 
besides,  there  is  other  work  for  me  to  do  to-night." 

"  Leave  me,  sir.  I  have  done  with  this,  once  for 
all!" 

"  You  will  come  with  me  now,"  cried  he,  angrily, 
and  stepped  up  to  her  and  took  her  by  the  arm  and 
shook  her.  "  You  will  come  with  me  now,  on  the 
instant !  " 

"  And  is  there  so  much  haste,  then  ?  " 

The  man  wheeled  on  me  with  a  suddenness  that 
startled  us  all.  I  know  not  why  I  came  forth,  but  I 
could  not  see  her  tyrannised  over;  and  though  my 
mind  was  in  a  whirl  as  to  the  purpose  of  this  stranger, 
as  well  as  to  what  might  be  going  on  below,  I  was 
out  and  at  him  with  my  hanger  before  the  words  were 
well  out  of  his  mouth. 

He  muttered  to  himself,  "  What  the  fiend  is  this?  " 
as  he  drew  and  guarded  my  thrust.  Then  he  cried 
out  to  his  man : 

"  Shoot,  fool !  shoot  him !  " 

Out  sprang  the  report  across  the  room,  and  a  pane 
of  glass  fell  behind  me ;  but,  as  good  luck  would  have 
it,  the  miss  was  clean  and  fair. 

At  the  same  time,  too  quick,  and  too  tangled  up 
with  our  hurrying  about  the  room  to  be  at  first  dis 
tinguished  from  it,  came  an  uproar  from  below  stairs. 
Shot  followed  shot,  and  we  could  soon  hear,  even 
above  the  noise  we  made  as  we  thrust  and  parried, 
the  sounds  of  fighting  from  beneath. 

At   the   first   he   hesitated   a   moment,    muttering, 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    105 

"  What  may  that  be  ?  "  But,  as  I  pressed  him  sorely, 
he  turned  to  me  again,  crying: 

"  Dorkin,  thou  fool,  fire !  Waste  no  time !  Fire, 
curse  thy  soul !  " 

Then  I  saw  the  man  come  towards  me,  and  I  knew 
he  could  not  miss  again.  There  was  naught  to  do  but 
run,  and  I  ran  for  the  great  bed,  followed  by  the  leader, 
who  had  thrown  his  great  cape  back  over  his  shoulders. 
As  I  ran  I  caught  a  chair  and  swung  it  around  towards 
the  soldier,  hitting  him  squarely  in  the  shins,  and  he 
bowled  over,  cursing  with  pain.  That  gave  me  a  mo 
ment,  and  I  pushed  a  table  at  my  adversary;  but  he, 
catching  it,  swung  it  aside,  and  at  it  again  we  went. 

All  the  while  the  terrible  din  below  stairs  increased, 
and  cries  and  curses  now  added  to  the  uproar.  It  ran 
through  my  mind  to  wonder  how  my  men  fared,  and  if 
Curtis  were  near  enough  to  hear.  But  I  could  do  little, 
for  my  time  was  near  up. 

"  Shoot !    shoot !    coward,"  cried  the  man  again. 

I  caught,  out  of  the  corner  of  my  eye,  the  soldier 
again  on  his  feet  and  walking  slowly  up  to  me,  with 
his  great  pistol  held  before  him  and  bearing  on  me. 
And  't  is  more  than  strange  how,  gone  though  I  knew 
I  must  be,  I  had  but  one  thought — she  should  see  what 
a  patriot  could  do  in  his  last  hour.  So  I  gave  a  heavy 
lunge  at  my  man,  and  again,  still  seeing  the  other 
growing  slowly  larger,  —  when  there  rang  out  another 
shot  like  a  cannon's  report  in  that  room. 

"  Missed  again,"  muttered  I ;  but  a  curse  "from  my 
opponent,  and  the  heavy  thud  of  a  falling  body,  told 
me  he  was  down.  Yet  did  it  take  me  long  to  realise 


106    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

what  had  happened ;  for  I  could  not  let  my  eye  wander 
from  the  sword  that  flashed  in  front  of  me  constantly. 
As  we  turned  around  one  another,  however,  I  caught 
the  glimpse  of  Mistress  Philipse,  looking  in  terror  at 
the  floor  in  front  of  her,  and  holding  my  smoking 
revolver  in  her  hand  —  and  my  good  spirits  flew  back 
to  their  proper  place. 

Up  came  from  below  a  shout,  and  I  heard  cries  and 
steps  rushing  up  the  stairs.  Still  my  man  pressed  on 
his  work;  but  what  I  had  seen  her  do  gave  me  the 
stomach  to  push  him  to  the  wall.  And  then,  too  quick 
to  be  told  here  properly,  my  name  sounded  clear  and 
brave  in  Acton's  voice,  accompanied  by  the  sounds  of 
my  approaching  friends.  For  the  space  of  an  instant 
we  stood  listening,  and  in  that  moment  I  turned  to 
Mistress  Philipse,  and  cried: 

"  Into  the  back  room !  quick !  Wait  for  me  there ! 
Ah!  you  will  attempt  it,  will  you?"  this  last  to  my 
adversary,  as  I  saw  him  making  for  the  window. 

'T  was  a  hard  moment's  exchange  of  thrusts  and 
he  was  too  near  the  window;  for,  as  I  cried  out  and 
the  door  opened  and  Acton  rushed  in,  the  man  turned, 
put  his  foot  lightly  on  the  low  sill,  and  went  out 
straight  into  the  darkness  with  a  fall  of  thrice  his 
height  below  him.  Yet  even  then,  I  noted  that  she 
had  gone  in  the  nick  of  time.  All  might  yet  be  well ! 

We  ran  to  the  window  and  heard  the  voice  of 
Curtis  cry  out,  as  he  ran  off  into  the  night  after  my 
vanished  opponent.  Then  I  soon  learned  that  four 
British  soldiers  were  prisoners,  and  that  five  lay  dead, 
or  wounded,  below.  And  while  the  men  were  dis- 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    107 

cussing  how  many  had  escaped,  Curtis  walked  into 
the  room. 

"  Well  ? "  said  I,  struck  by  the  expression  on  his 
face. 

He  sat  down  and  wiped  his  forehead  without  speak 
ing  for  a  moment ;  then  said,  as  if  to  himself : 

"  Sometimes  I  almost  believe  in  spirits." 

"What  now,  lad?"  asked  Acton. 

"  Here  was  I  standing  in  the  door  below,"  said  he, 
rising  with  far  more  animation  than  he  usually  be 
trayed,  "  looking  out  into  the  night ;  when  who,  think 
ye,  literally  dropped  from  the  clouds?" 

"  Why,  lad,  't  was  my  man  jumped  from  the  win 
dow  above,"  said  I. 

Curtis  shook  his  head. 

"  T  was  the  man  with  the  cape !  the  man,  as  sure 
as  I  live !  The  man  who  is  known  to  us  as  Hazeltine ! 
I  knew  him  at  once.  I  made  after  him,  but "  —  and 
here  he  shrugged  his  shoulders — "but  he  disappeared, 
as  if  the  darkness  had  swallowed  him." 

And  I  sat  down  and  pondered  what  this  might 
mean. 


CHAPTER   X 

HOW  THE   MOUSE  BECAME  A   LION 

WE   left   the   house   with   the   prisoners   as 
quickly  as  possible,  the  dead  being  buried. 
And  after  continuing  with  the  troop  up  the 
road  for  some  distance,  I  turned  back  on  the  excuse  of 
having  left  something. 

As  I  came  near  the  house  again  my  mind  misgave 
me.  Would  she  wait?  Would  she  trust  me  still?  It 
would  take  the  devil  himself  to  tell  her  mind,  and  I 
could  not  judge.  I  had  seen  her  now  but  three  or  four 
times,  and  yet  I  knew  at  least  twenty  different  hu 
mours  ;  and  Heaven  knew  how  many  more  she  had  at 
her  call  to  do  her  bidding.  Still,  she  should  not  have 
cause  to  doubt  me.  I,  at  least,  would  keep  my  word, 
and  so  I  went  on  up  the  walk  again  to  the  side  door 
and  into  the  room  where  we  had  captured  the  maid 
and  where  the  light  still  burned.  Then  on  into  the 
front  hall.  Listening  a  moment  and  hearing  naught, 
I  called  her  name. 

A  stifled  exclamation  came  to  me  through  the  oak 
under  the  stairway,  and  the  panel  slid  softly  back. 
There  was  no  light,  but  what  worked  its  way  across 
the  back  hall  from  the  other  room.  Yet  could  I  see 
her  as  she  stepped  out  from  the  black  hole,  saw,  too, 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    109 

that  she  leaned  towards  me,  so  that  I  caught  her,  or 
she  had  been  on  the  floor. 

What  new  mood  was  this?  She  was  lying  in  my 
arms,  her  head  on  my  shoulder,  sobbing  with  the  con 
vulsive  gasps  of  a  child !  She  clung  to  me  till  the  grip 
hurt  my  shoulder. 

"  What  is  it,  Deborah?  "  I  asked.  "  Hush !  What 
is  it  ?  There  's  naught  wrong  now.  They  're  gone, 
child !" 

Yet  still  she  sobbed  on.  For  the  life  of  me  I  could 
not  help  it  —  she  seemed  so  like  a  child  —  and  I  patted 
her  shoulder  softly  and  bade  her  calm  herself. 

"  I  cannot !  I  cannot !  "  she  sobbed.  "  God  help  me 
from  such  another  hour !  " 

"  Why,  how  should  so  brave  a  girl  fear  a  dark 
corner  ?  " 

"  Take  me  away !  ah,  wilt  not  take  me  away  from 
here?" 

"  Come,  now,"  said  I,  moving  to  the  back  room. 

"  That  man ! "  she  cried  in  terror,  looking  up  into 
my  face  with  a  frightened  gaze.  "  Is  he  gone?  " 

"  Long  since,"  said  I,  as  soothingly  as  I  might. 

"  Is  he  dead  ?    Did  I  kill  a  man  ?  " 

"  Dost  know  you  saved  my  life  ?  "  I  asked,  hold 
ing  her  close.  There  came  a  convulsive  grip  on  my 
shoulder  again. 

"Thank  God!  Thank  God!"  she  murmured.  "But 
did  I  kill  a  man?" 

"  No,  surely  not,"  said  I.  Yet  the  fellow  lay  in  his 
new-made  grave  cold  and  stiffening  fast.  But  she  had 
so  wild  and  crazed  a  look  in  her  eyes  I  dared  not  add 


no    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

to  her  terror.  And  't  was  well  I  did  so,  for  with  a  long 
sigh  the  nerves  relaxed,  and  I  lifted  her  in  my  arms 
and  carried  her  out  of  the  house  into  the  cool  morning 
air  and  down  to  the  road  with  never  a  word  nor  move 
from  her. 

'T  was  a  sweet  burden  to  carry,  and,  as  I  moved 
along  she  sighed  again,  in  her  half  conscious  condition, 
and  reaching  up  one  round  arm,  put  it  about  my  neck. 
So  could  I  have  carried  her  a  hundred  miles.  Was  it 
not  enough  to  make  the  warm  blood  flow  back  and 
forth  to  your  heart  ?  And  would  not  a  man  give  half 
his  days  to  feel  such  another  slowly  throbbing  against 
his  coat?  For  the  life  of  me  I  could  not  forbear  to 
take  the  longest  way  to  the  gate  —  't  was  but  a  paltry 
step  at  the  longest. 

Come  to  the  roadside,  however,  and  by  the  horses, 
I  sat  down  upon  the  grass  and,  still  holding  her,  waited 
in  silence  for  very  fear  that  she  might  wake  and 
force  me  to  let  her  go.  And  then  she  drew  something 
of  a  long  breath  and  opened  her  eyes. 

"  'T  is  quite  right  here,  now,"  said  I.  "  We  be  in 
the  road  far  from  the  house,"  and  she  turned  her  head 
slowly,  looking  up  at  me,  her  cheek  touching  my  coat. 
And  I  saw  that  the  fear  was  gone. 

"  Why,  where  are  thy  nerves,  girl  ?  "  I  cried,  with 
a  laugh.  Could  not  a  man  laugh  for  very  joy  of  life 
at  such  a  face,  lying  close  to  him,  and  looking  up  at 
him  so  with  never  fear  nor  doubt,  but  oh,  what  a  world 
of  trouble  in  the  eyes?  If  indeed  there  be  one  who 
could  not,  let  him  get  him  to  a  nunnery,  for  he  is  a 
fool. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    in 

"  You  will  not  leave  me  ?  "  she  murmured. 

"  God  forbid !  "  said  I,  fervently.  And  she  moved 
a  bit  in  my  arms  and  drew  another  long  sigh. 

So  I  sat  quiet  for  a  space,  Roger  gazing  down  at 
me  in  wonder.  And  after  a  little  she  moved  again. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  said  I,  softly,  for  fear  of  waking  her. 

"I  —  I  think  I  can  sit  up  now,"  she  answered. 

"  No,  no,"  I  insisted,  "  you  're  much  too  weak." 
And  no  doubt  she  was. 

"  I  think  that  —  that  't  were  better  I  should,"  said 
she,  with  a  trace  of  herself  creeping  into  her  voice. 

"  Nay,  child,"  said  I  again,  "  't  will  be  your  certain 
death.  'Lie  still!" 

"  Since  when,  sir,  have  you  acquired  the  authority 
to  command  me  ? "  she  asked,  yet  never  moving  to 
rise.  There  she  lay  close  to  me,  her  face  as  pale  as  the 
moonlight,  yet  giving  the  hint  of  the  petulant  raillery 
in  her  eye  and  voice. 

According  to  one,  Marvin  by  name,  I  had  a  right  to 
command  her,  and  as  the  thought  grew  in  my  head  I 
held  her  closer  to  me,  and  looked  down  in  her  eyes, 
and  said  not  a  word. 

"Mr.  Balfort!" 

Aye,  't  was  over !  There  sat  Mistress  Deborah  bolt 
upright  beside  me,  taking  up  the  tresses  of  her  long 
hair  with  hands  that  might  shake  a  little,  but  with  no 
wavering  in  her  face.  Still  I  said  not  a  word.  Indeed, 
I  did  not  like  to  meet  her  eye  just  then. 

"  I  think  I  shall  get  up  and  walk  a  little,"  came  in  a 
constrained  voice  from  her.  And  she  forthwith  at 
tempted  to  rise.  But  had  it  not  been  for  a  quick  grasp 


ii2    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

from  me  she  would  have  fallen,  and  so,  with  a  nervous 
laugh,  she  held  to  my  arm  again  and  looked  up  at  me. 

"  Forgive  me,  dear  friend !  You  were  right.  I  am 
as  weak  as  any  nervous  girl.  Indeed,  I  am  ashamed 
of  such  faintheartedness." 

"  Never  a  trace  of  faint  heart  is  there  about  you," 
I  answered,  warmly.  "  But  you  have  had  a  night  that 
might  well  strain  the  nerves  of  a  strong  man.  Wilt 
take  my  arm  and  walk  ?  " 

She  looked  at  me  searchingly  and  made  the  trial. 
Then  on  a  sudden  she  seemed  to  sink  from  me,  and 
grasped  my  arm  heavily,  murmuring  with  that  strange 
nervous  laugh  in  her  voice: 

"  I  am  so  sorry,  but  —  but  will  you  —  would  you 
help  me  to  a  —  " 

And  I  had  my  arm  about  her  again ;  for,  indeed,  the 
girl  could  not  stand. 

"  You  are  too  weak  to  walk,  and  you  must  trust  to 
me  as  a  gentleman  —  as  a  friend  —  as  a  —  " 

"Husband?" 

"  I  did  not  say  so." 

"You  thought  it,  perhaps?" 

"  My  thoughts  are  my  own,  mistress." 

"  Indeed,  sir,  I  fancied  they  were  any  one's  who 
might  look  on  your  face !  " 

"  Does  my  face,  then,  say  I  am  a  villain  ?  " 

"  O,  dost  not  see,  stupid,"  cried  she,  "  how  safe  I 
feel  with  you  out  of  that  terrible  house?  Could  I 
smile  and  joke,  think  you,  after  that,  if  I  were  not  as 
free  as  air  —  only  a  little  weak  and  tired  and  —  " 

And  then  of  a  sudden  she  leaned  her  head  against 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   v    113 

my  shoulder  and  wept  softly,  holding  my  arm  tight 
the  while. 

"  Do  not  cry  so,  mistress !  Wilt  not  rest  quietly  a 
moment  till  strength  comes  to  you  ?  " 

"  You  do  not  understand  a  woman !  "  cried  she,  be 
tween  sobs.  "  Go  away  and  leave  me  —  leave  me 
alone!" 

What  the  fiend  I  should  do  now  I  could  not  guess, 
till  I  bethought  me  of  a  pocket  flask  of  brandy  in  the 
saddle,  and,  laying  her  quietly  by  the  roadside,  I  was 
there  and  back  in  a  moment  and  had  forced  her  to 
take  a  swallow  or  two.  After  that,  without  more  ado, 
I  threw  the  reins  of  the  two  horses  over  one  arm, 
and,  picking  her  up,  started  down  the  road  for  the  vil 
lage,  just  as  the  first  signs  of  dawn  appeared  over  the 
hills. 

For  a  time  she  lay  quiet  again,  holding  me  tight  by 
the  shoulder ;  and  gradually  the  strong  liquor  and  her 
own  self-control  checked  the  quiet  weeping.  Thus, 
still  lying  close,  she  said : 

"  You  must  not  carry  me.    'T  is  too  great  a  burden." 

"  I  could  carry  you  to  New  York  and  not  know  it." 

"  Am  I  of  so  little  consequence,  sir  ?  " 

"  You  are  —  you  are  —  oh,  child,  child,  you  know 
well  what  you  are,  and  how  little  the  burden  of  carry 
ing  you  weighs  me  down !  "  Indeed,  I  said  it  some 
what  bitterly,  for  everything  was  by  the  ears  whichever 
way  I  might  look. 

For  answer,  she  moved  a  little,  turning  her  face  up 
to  me. 

"  Where  are  we  going?  " 
8 


n4    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

"  To  the  village  below  here,  where  you  can  be 
warmed  by  a  fire  and  have  some  woman  to  care  for 
you." 

"  I  need  no  woman  to  care  for  me,"  said  she,  quickly. 
"  And  I  am  quite  satisfied  now.  But  will  it  please  your 
highness  to  let  me  try  and  walk  a  bit  ?  " 

Setting  her  down  I  held  her  while  she  felt  her  own 
weight,  and  then  finding  she  could  indeed  stand,  she 
let  me  lift  her  on  Roger,  and  with  one  hand  on  my 
shoulder  and  the  other  on  the  good  beast's  neck,  she 
rode  and  I  walked  into  the  village,  just  as  the  morning 
rays  spread  over  the  land. 

"  The  dear  sun,"  said  she,  softly.  "  There  it  is,  as 
bright  and  clear  as  if  there  had  been  no  dreadful 
night ; "  and  she  added  presently,  "  It  seems  that  we 
are  destined  to  take  early  morning  jaunts  together." 

I  walked  on  in  silence,  still  holding  her  arm. 

"  Why  so  silent,  sir  ?  Do  you  not  know  that  my 
nerves  need  cheering  up?  And  yet  you  are  as  glum 
as  an  owl." 

"  I  am  thinking  where  I  should  be  now,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  your  courage  last  night." 

"  And  is  your  life  so  serious  a  matter  as  all  that  ?  " 

"  No,  't  is  not  indeed.  And  if  the  fellow  had  touched 
me,  little  would  have  been  missed  from  the  world 
to-day." 

There  came  a  heavier  grip  upon  my  shoulder,  and 
looking  up  I  saw  her  leaning  towards  me  with  the 
new  sunlight  glistening  on  something  in  the  eyes  that 
looked  earnestly  down  at  me. 

"  And  wilt  fall  morose,  too,  because  I  wept  ?    Fie, 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    115 

how  weak  and  foolish  !  How  like  a  woman !  "  And 
yet  I  'd  be  sworn  't  was  not  that  those  filling  eyes  said 
to  me. 

"  Mistress  Deborah,"  said  I,  taking  her  hand  from 
my  shoulder,  "  Do  you  care  the  least  how  I  feel?  Dost 
know  what  I  would  say  ?  " 

"  Aye,  sir,  you  would  tell  me  if  this  be  not  the  very 
same  village  through  which  we  passed  but  a  few  days 
since." 

"  Damn  the  village ! "  quoth  I,  softly,  in  some 
dudgeon. 

"  Sakes !  "  cried  she,  "  't  is  a  pretty  town.  Why 
shouldst  damn  it,  since  we  may  yet  breakfast  together 
there  —  you  and  I,  at  our  first  meal,  —  you  and  I,  the 
rebel  chieftain  and  the  loyal  maid ! " 

So  we  rode  on  into  the  village,  and,  stopping  at  the 
first  house  of  respectable  look,  I  went  in  and  found  a 
good  woman,  who  took  Mistress  Philipse  and  helped 
her  to  arrange  her  toilet.  So  I  stood  by  the  door,  wait 
ing  her  return,  being  myself,  to  tell  the  truth,  worn 
out  with  the  night's  work  and  the  excitement  of  the 
past  few  hours.  I  stood  thus  when  a  horseman  came 
by  from  the  north. 

As  he  drew  near,  in  spite  of  my  own  thoughts  I 
could  not  forbear  a  smile.  For  he  was  the  most  comi 
cal-looking  bit  of  humanity  it  had  been  my  fortune  to 
meet  in  many  a  day.  The  horse  was  nearer  dead  than 
alive,  lanky  of  limb,  and  seeming  to  have  more  corners 
and  angles  than  the  famous  Rosinante  of  the  Spanish 
writer's  Don  Quixote  —  a  fierce-looking  beast  with 
long  teeth  and  no  hair  in  his  tail.  Yet  he  covered  the 


n6    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

ground,  however  strange  his  gait.  But  the  rider 
looked  as  he  might  have  come  from  a  powder  magazine 
that  had  blown  him  sky  high  and  dumped  him  all 
shattered  on  the  earth.  He  wore  no  hat  and  his  long 
hair  stood  out  every  way  but  that  which  it  was  intended 
it  should  stand,  while  the  poor  man's  clothes  were 
ripped  and  torn,  and  hung  in  shreds  about  him.  One 
boot  was  gone,  and  the  blood  stood  on  his  brow  and 
cheek,  dried  and  black.  As  I  say,  I  could  not  forbear 
a  laugh  at  his  wild  appearance;  and  then  it  dawned 
on  me  that  the  man  wore  the  shreds  of  a  Colonial  blue- 
coat  and  cavalry  uniform.  Seeing  me  in  the  doorway, 
he  pulled  up  with  such  a  suddenness  that  the  strange 
beast  he  rode  promptly  sat  down.  Thereupon  he  dis 
mounted  and  old  Rosinante  lay  quietly  at  full  length 
in  the  road. 

"  What  in  the  name  of  the  devil  have  you  there, 
man  ?  "  cried  I. 

"  Ye  have  a  Colonial  dress,  sir,"  said  the  poor  wretch 
saluting,  but  gazing  out  of  his  bloodshot  eyes  suspi 
ciously.  "  Are  ye  perchance  an  American  officer  ?  " 

I  told  him  I  was. 

"  Do  ye,  then,  know  aught  of  one,  Lieutenant 
Balfort,  Merton  Balfort?" 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  equally  cautious.  "  And  what  of 
him?" 

"  I  have  a  message  for  him." 

"  I  am  he." 

Again  he  looked  at  me. 

"  How  am  I  to  know  ?  "  he  asked. 

I  thought  a  moment  and  then  said :    "  Did  you 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    117 

meet  any  American  troops  going  north  some  hours 
ago?" 

"  Yes,  sir.    Cavalry,  under  two  officers." 

"  These  officers.     Do  you  know  their  names  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  They  were  Lieutenants  Curtis  and  Acton,"  said  I, 
"  and  carried  British  prisoners." 

"  Your  pardon,  Lieutenant,"  said  he,  humbly ;  and 
then  grasped  the  door-post  in  evident  exhaustion. 

"  Sit  down,  man,  and  say  on,"  said  I.  He  sank 
down  on  the  step. 

"  I  missed  you  at  the  fort,  and  came  on  —  the  road 
above  —  I  met  Lieutenant  Curtis  —  he  told  me  you 
were  below  at  the  ferry  —  before  I  got  there  some  hell 
hound  fired  from  the  woods  and  killed  my  horse  — 
three  of  them  took  me  —  robbed  me,  by  God,  sir  — 
saving  your  presence,  sir  —  got  my  despatches  and 
read  them,  and  kept  them  —  I  fought  them  hard,  sir, 
but  't  was  no  use  —  and  then  one  of  them  hit  me  a 
crack  on  the  head,  and  —  mayhap  they  left  me  for 
the  crows,  for  when  I  got  to  again,  there  was  I  by  the 
wayside  in  the  bushes  —  and  I  'm  not  so  sure  of  what 
I  did,  but  remember  getting  a  farmer  to  give  me  that 
lump  of  clay  over  there,  and  so,"  with  a  wan  smile, 
"  so  I  got  on." 

I  picked  the  poor  fellow  up,  and  bade  him  tell  me-  if 
he  knew  the  message  or  who  't  was  had  sent  it. 

"  I  came  from  Tappan,  sir,  yesterday." 

"  From  headquarters  ?  "  cried  I. 

"Aye,  sir,  from  the  General  himself?" 

"  What  was  it,  man?    What  was  it?  " 


n8    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  'T  is  strange,  now,"  he  muttered,  putting  his  hand 
to  his  head,  "  I  heard  that  son  of  hell  read  it  but  a  few 
hours  since." 

"  Think,  man,  think !  "  said  I,  roughly. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  cried  he,  looking  up  at  me.  "  'T  was 
an  order  from  the  Commander-in-Chief  —  for  Lieu 
tenant  Balfort  to  report  at  headquarters  at  once  —  aye 
—  at  Tappan.  Could  ye,  could  ye  give  me  a  drink  of 
water,  sir  ?  " 

Turning  to  get  the  drink  for  him,  I  saw  that  Mistress 
Philipse  had  heard  his  message,  and  I  would  have 
given  much  to  read  her  thoughts  then. 

"  Well  done,  my  man !  Come,  let  me  take  you  in 
here,"  and  we  carried  him  into  the  front  room,  and  laid 
him  on  a  sofa,  and  gave  him  his  fill  of  water. 

Then,  while  he  lay  quiet,  I  turned  to  her. 

"  Will  you  come  to  our  breakfast  ?  "  said  she,  with 
just  a  shade  of  embarrassment  in  her  tone,  and  of  red 
on  her  cheek. 

"  Mistress,"  said  I,  "  had  you  aught  to  do  with  the 
attempt  to  rescue  Andre  ?  —  Nay,  't  is  an  unfair  ques 
tion,"  I  added,  hurriedly,  for  there  came  a  sudden 
change  in  her  eyes.  "  I  will  ask  another,  instead.  You 
heard  this  man's  tale.  Will  —  will  others  know  of  the 
message  ?  " 

"  Does  the  lion  eat  the  mouse  which  gnawed  his 
bands  in  twain  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  It  depends  upon  how  hungry  the  lion  is." 

"  After  breakfast  the  lion  would  not  be  so  hungry." 

"  Then,  it  depends,  too,  on  whether  the  lion  is  a  chiv 
alrous  lion." 


¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    V    119 

"  Do  you  think  she  is?"  she  asked,  slowly,  looking 
out  across  the  street. 

I  took  her  hand  and  kissed  it  gently,  and  said : 

"  I  think  she  is.  But  I  cannot  stop  for  breakfast  — 
I  must  be  gone  at  once,"  and  we  moved  out  to  the  door. 
"  What  am  I  to  do  with  you  ?  " 

She  looked  up  without  the  shadow  of  a  smile. 

"  You  might  sell  me  —  or,  perhaps  some  man  would 
be  willing  to  hire  —  " 

"  Madam,  you  jest  upon  a  serious  topic.'* 

"  Your  duty  bids  you  stay  with  me,"  said  she, 
seriously  now. 

"  You  know  I  cannot." 

"  Is,  then,  Mr.  Washington  so  much  more  important 
than  your  —  than  I  ?  " 

"  'T  is  an  unjust  query.    I  must  obey  him." 

"  You  promised  to  obey  me  until  death  should  us 
part." 

Was  she  making  sport  of  me  again? 

"  Wilt  take  me  with  you  ?  "  she  cried  impulsively. 

"Will  you  go?"  I  asked,  grasping  her  hands. 

"  To  ride  over  the  land  together  for  days  and  days  ?  " 

"  Aye,  forever !     Wilt  go,  Deborah  ?  " 

"  And  wouldst  take  a  spy  into  Washington's  very 
headquarters  ?  " 

"  And  is  not  the  lion  chivalrous  ?  "  I  asked  again, 
earnestly. 

"  What  a  foolish  boy,"  she  said,  softly,  with  a  smile, 
giving  my  hand  a  little  shake.  "  And  yet,"  half  to  her 
self,  "  and  yet  I  —  I  'd  not  have  you  say  otherwise. 
Nay,  I  stay  here  with  good  Mistress  Apthorp,  —  't  is 


120   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   v 

all  arranged  half  an  hour  ago  —  till  her  husband  to 
morrow  takes  me  to  the  Tarrytown  lines.  Then  to 
home  again,"  she  added,  with  a  sigh,  "  to  home  and 
the  misery  I  tried  to  avoid."  The  quaint  humour  in 
her  was  all  gone  again,  and  she  seemed  almost  to  droop. 
An  unreasoning  anger  got  the  better  of  me  that  such 
a  condition  should  exist.  This  wretched  war  did 
naught  but  deprive  me  of  —  aye,  of  what  ?  What, 
indeed  ?  I  could  not  for  the  life  of  me  tell !  Maybe 
much;  maybe  naught  at  all! 

"  Good-bye,  Mistress  Philipse,"  said  I,  holding  out 
my  hand. 

"  Good-bye,  Lieutenant,"  said  she,  taking  it. 

And  then,  somehow,  I  drew  her  a  little  towards 
me  and  looked  down  into  her  eyes  —  great,  brilliant 
eyes  of  brown  depths.  God  forgive  me,  they  were 
not  for  me,  and  I  straightened  instinctively. 

Over  the  upturned  face  went  a  slowly  rising  rose 
colour,  as  she  said  very  low: 

"  JT  is  a  very  weak  and  unhappy  lion  —  " 

"  And  a  desperate  mouse,"  I  interrupted. 

And  so  — 

Roger  went  up  the  road  under  me,  snorting  in 
amazement  at  the  extraordinary  pace  demanded  of 
him. 


CHAPTER   XI 

IN   WHICH   ROGER   LEADS   IN   A  FAST  RIDE 

WE  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  my 
thoughts  came  trooping  back,  and  I  pulled 
up.  I  was  called  to  Tappan  —  a  day  was 
lost  already  —  and  up  above  were  men  who  had  way 
laid  the  messenger,  who  knew  the  contents  of  the  note. 
'T  would  be  folly  to  travel  back  to  Verplancks  and 
give  them  time  to  take  me  on  the  road,  or  intercept 
me  on  the  other  side,  if  they  deemed  it  worth  their 
while.  My  feeling  was  that  they  were  merely  a  gang 
of  Skinners  pillaging  this  man  like  all  others.  But 
they  might  be,  too,  some  of  the  escaped  squad  we  had 
outwitted  in  the  old  house,  who  were  following  up  the 
rear  of  the  troop.  Most  important  of  all,  however, 
had  not  Curtis's  ghost  found  me  with  the  girl,  whom 
he  seemed  to  know,  and  would  he  not  try  to  get  her 
by  taking  me? 

At  that  I  turned  about  and  made  for  the  ferry, 
crossing  as  soon  as  I  could  and  setting  out  at  once 
for  Tappan.  I  knew  the  road  well  enough ;  for  in 
my  two  weeks  at  the  fort  I  had  crossed  more  than 
once,  and  from  the  drawings  of  the  country  in  the 
colonel's  possession  the  lay  of  the  land  was  moder 
ately  clear. 


122    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

,So  I  had  moved  along  for  a  mile  or  more,  till 
Roger  stopped  to  breathe  at  the  peak  of  a  long  hill. 
As  I  looked  back  I  saw  two  riders  some  distance 
behind,  too  far  away  to  make  them  out,  but  't  was 
evident  they  were  coming  along  at  a  quick  gait. 
They  seemed  to  have  the  dress  of  countrymen,  and 
on  this  side  of  the  river  I  knew  't  was  not  so  safe 
for  either  British  or  outlaw  as  on  the  other.  For 
a  moment  I  hesitated,  thinking  to  draw  off  the  road 
and  let  them  come  up  and  pass.  Then  the  mission 
I  was  on  seemed  too  important,  and  the  chance  of 
coming  to  blows  with  them  too  great  a  risk  to  be 
taken  just  now.  Out  stretched  Roger,  therefore,  in 
his  great  stride,  and  I  knew  there  were  but  few  ani 
mals  in  the  country  could  keep  the  good  nag's  pace. 
I  talked  to  him,  as  was  my  wont,  and  bade  him  save 
himself,  for  that  he  and  I  had  some  miles  to  cover 
and  neither  stumble  nor  slack  might  we  indulge  in. 
Roger  and  I  were  friends  of  long  standing,  and 
had  had  a  run  for  our  necks  more  than  once.  The 
good  beast  laid  back  his  ears,  saying,  as  plain  as  if 
in  words,  that  if  the  devil  were  behind  on  the  best 
that  he  could  bring  from  his  sulphur  home,  we  would 
give  him  his  due  and  a  run  for  his  money. 

Never  can  a  man  have  more  exhilarating  work 
than  such  a  ride  with  seventeen  hands  of  splendid 
horseflesh  between  his  knees,  and  I  laughed  to  my 
self  to  think  of  the  run  before  us,  if  indeed  the  two 
countrymen  behind  were  in  search  of  me. 

The  road  lay  over  a  rolling  country  —  now  down, 
now  up  —  now  straight  again,  winding  between  passes 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    123 

in  the  hills.  So  that  shortly  I  made  the  top  of  an 
other  long  climb  and  was  about  to  go  over  a  pass 
between  two  wooded  foothills,  when,  turning  back, 
I  saw  the  two  men  down  in  the  valley  coming  on  at 
the  best  rate  their  horses  could  carry  them.  At  that 
instant  one  pointed  up  at  me,  and  then  both  urged  on. 
"  Roger,  boy,  lengthen  thy  stride,  and  let  them  follow 
till  they  get  their  fill !  "  And  the  good  horse  flattened 
along  the  road  in  his  old-time  run. 

Every  now  and  then  I  could  catch  the  beat  of 
hoofs,  but  they  got  no  nearer. 

I  came  suddenly  upon  a  fork  in  the  road,  and  met 
an  old  oxen  cart  coming  down  one  fork. 

"  Tell  me,  my  man,  are  you  for  General  Washing 
ton?"  said  I,  pulling  up. 

"  That  I  am,  sir,  God  bless  him !  " 

"  Then  tell  me  which  is  the  way  to  Tappan." 

"  Here  to  the  right,  sir,"  answered  he,  looking  at 
me  in  some  wonder. 

I  looked  at  him  a  moment  in  doubt,  —  then  took 
my  chance;  for  such  a  man  in  such  a  place  was  like 
to  be  on  our  side,  in  his  heart,  at  least. 

"  Would  you  serve  him,  friend  ?  " 

He  nodded,  looking  at  me  from  his  little  eyes  all 
the  while. 

"  Then  tell  two  men  who  will  come  running  here 
in  a  moment  that  I  took  the  other  road." 

"  Ye  '11  do  better  to  take  it  anyway,"  said  he. 

"Why  so?"  I  asked  sternly. 

"  Because  I  was  but  now  stopped  by  a  man  as  is 
British,  or  I  'm  a  Spaniard,  who  \vould  know  if  a 
man  riding  this  way  had  gone  by." 


i24    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

Again  I  looked  the  old  man  over. 

i(  Ye  need  no'  fear,  sir,  for  you  wear  the  uniform 
and  I  'd  do  what  I  could  to  help  the  good  cause.  Go 
on  to  the  south'ard  fork  for  about  a  mile;  then  turn 
west  by  a  lane  —  there  's  but  one  —  and  come  out  on 
this  road.  If  the  Britisher  moves  no  further  south, 
ye  '11  be  beyond  him." 

"  God  help  you,  old  man,  if  you  lie ;  but  I  '11  take 
your  word.  Send  the  two  down  the  fork  after  me," 
and  Roger  and  I  were  off. 

On  went  the  nag.  We  reached  the  lane  clearly 
enough,  and  I  took  it.  Most  of  the  way  lay  through 
the  timber,  and  I  ran  out  on  the  Tappan  highway  well 
nigh  before  I  knew.  And  there,  as  my  cursed  luck 
would  have  it,  stood  three  horsemen  not  five  hundred 
yards  away.  They  caught  sight  of  me  as  I  looked 
back  at  them,  and  we  were  all  four  off  before  much 
was  thought  or  done. 

JT  was  a  bad  business,  for  they  had  breathed  a  space 
while  Roger  had  been  covering  rod  after  rod.  Still, 
was  I  on  the  Tappan  road  and  on  the  Tappan  side 
of  them,  and  had  five  hundred  yards  to  the  good. 
Even  then  no  horse  of  theirs  could  do  more  than  keep 
the  distance,  or  mayhap  work  off  a  yard  or  two  now 
and  then.  Giving  Roger  the  reins  on  his  neck,  I  got 
out  my  two  pistols  and  made  ready  for  what  might 
come.  The  horse  could  take  my  guiding  from  the 
knee,  and  stretching  out  his  neck  he  sped  on. 

Running  up  a  grade  and  turning  the  top  of  a  hill, 
I  laughed  out  loud  to  see  in  the  valley  beneath  tents 
and  flags  and  all  the  signs  of  a  camp,  and  knew  that 


f    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    125 

Tappan  lay  but  a  couple  of  miles  away.  Turning  in 
the  saddle  I  waved  my  two  arms  at  the  men. 

They  came  thundering  on,  and  the  one  in  the  lead 
discharged  his  pistol,  though  it  was  far  out  of  range. 
Looking  ahead,  I  caught  a  bit  of  road  beneath  and 
saw  the  last  of  a  troop  of  horse  coming  this  way. 
And  that  gave  me  an  idea,  which  the  winding  road 
suggested.  Speeding  on  down  the  hill  I  turned  a 
sharp  corner  and  jumped  Roger  up  a  bank  into  the 
timber  and  underbrush,  and  then  throwing  my  arms 
round  his  nose,  held  him  close  as  the  three  rattled 
by.  In  a  moment  I  was  out  on  the  highway  and  fol 
lowing  after,  still  with  the  reins  on  the  good  horse's 
neck  and  a  pistol  in  either  hand. 

'T  was  too  good  to  be  true !  A  fool  will  always 
spoil  his  own  game.  For  I  wheeled  round  another 
curve  in  the  steep  and  narrow  descent  and  came 
plump  upon  the  three  standing  still  and  stopping  the 
highway.  Whether  they  had  seen  or  heard  the  ap 
proaching  troop  I  never  knew,  but  four  men  more 
astonished  it  would  be  hard  to  find.  There  was  not  an 
instant  to  think  or  decide  on  action.  I  ran  amongst 
them  literally,  having  only  sense  enough  to  clap  spur 
deep  in  Roger's  flesh.  'T  was  a  new  sensation  for 
him,  for  he  and  I  never  needed  steel  to  keep  us  mov 
ing,  and  the  beast  leapt  forward  in  amazement,  as  I 
fired  on  either  side.  They  were  no  fools  —  those 
"  countrymen  "  —  for  I  had  no  more  than  got  through 
when  a  quick  report  was  followed  by  a  sting  in  my 
left  hand  and  the  pistol  dropped  to  the  ground,  while 
I  wrung  the  arm  and  cursed  the  fiends  roundly.  Down 


126    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

I  got  on  the  horse's  neck  and  for  an  instant  waited 
for  my  end. 

'T  is  a  long  time,  such  an  instant,  but  it  had  its 
end.  Another  shot  sounded  in  the  clear  morning  air, 
and  I  heard  a  howl  in  front  and  saw  a  horse  go  down 
as  the  troop  came  trotting  around  the  curve.  Up  came 
Roger  and  wheeled  about  at  a  pressure  of  the  knee 
just  in  time  to  see  two  of  them  turn  about  while  the 
third  lay  still  in  the  road. 

No  explanation  was  needed,  but  I  cried  out  to  them 
to  take  the  men,  and  some  started  in  pursuit,  while 
we  picked  up  the  dead  man  whose  coat  was  black 
ened  with  the  fire  of  the  powder  from  my  close  shot. 
And  out  of  his  pocket  came  a  paper,  that  gave  me  a 
greater  respect  for  Curtis's  "  ghost "  than  I  had  yet 
had  —  gave  me,  too,  a  sense  of  insecurity  that  I  had 
not  felt  in  that  long  ride. 

The  paper,  which  I  read  with  the  lieutenant  who 
commanded  the  troop,  was  this : 

"  You  are  to  cover  the  road  to  Tappan  from  Gowan's  Ferry. 
Watch  for  a  man  in  lieutenant's  uniform,  Balfort  by  name;  get 
him  alive  if  possible.  But  get  him.  Take  the  woman  who  is 
with  him  and  hurt  not  a  hair  of  her  head.  I  follow  the  other 
two  with  the  prisoners.  Meet  me  at  Gowan's  Tavern  to-morrow 
night.  Wait  two  days  there  and  then  return. 

"  HAZELTINE." 

"  Narrow  escape,  Lieutenant,"  said  the  young 
officer. 

"  Indeed  it  was,"  said  I,  absently,  and  then,  waking 
up,  I  told  him  enough  of  the  story  to  persuade  him 
to  let  me  go  on. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    127 

As  I  rode  slowly  into  the  camp,  I  began  to  under 
stand  the  feeling  Curtis  had  for  this  extraordinary 
man,  and  to  feel  that  he  knew  by  some  strange,  almost 
supernatural  means  what  was  going  on  in  the  Amer 
ican  army.  Yet  't  was  simple  enough.  He  had  taken 
the  General's  messenger,  and,  reading  the  dispatch, 
had  sent  out  men  to  take  me.  Yet  the  thing  rankled 
in  my  mind  all  the  way  to  headquarters,  and  after, 
while  I  waited  the  return  of  General  Washington. 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

ONE,  two,  three  hours  I  waited.  No  one  knew, 
or  would  tell  me,  when  the  general  might  re 
turn,  and  though  I  was  allowed  to  walk  up 
and  down  the  hall  of  the  old  farmhouse  then  used  as 
army  headquarters,  or  even  in  the  road  before  the 
house,  I  realised  that  I  was  not  out  of  the  sight  of  one 
sentry  or  another  during  all  that  time.  'T  was  not 
strange,  since  the  credentials  I  brought  were  nothing 
more  than  my  word,  and  no  one  about  headquarters 
knew  my  name.  Noon  passed  and  by  good  fortune 
I  secured  some  food ;  and  then  the  afternoon  wore  on. 
In  this  delay  I  went  over  again  the  ride  Roger  had 
taken  me,  and  harked  back  to  Mistress  Philipse's 
treatment  of  me  at  the  Gowan's  Ferry  house.  'T  was 
a  marvel  how  that  one  woman  could  say  what  she  chose 
to  me,  and,  by  such  a  word  or  look  as  she  gave  me 
when  I  left  her,  wipe  out  a  hundred  times  the  things 
she  had  charged  me  with  but  a  few  hours  before. 
Could  such  a  woman  think  seriously  with  so  many 
moods  and  such  sudden  tempers?  Could  she  have 
been  serious  and  true  in  both  her  moods  that  night  and 
this  morning?  I  had  seen  her  but  twice  and  yet  I 
knew  her  so  well,  so  well.  In  that  time  she  had  shown 
me  more  of  womanliness,  of  beauty,  of  sweetness,  of 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    129 

impetuous  temper,  of  weak  feminine  helplessness,  and 
strong  will,  and  anger  than  I  had  known  in  any  dozen 
women  before.  T  was  enough  to  turn  the  head  of 
any  man,  this  breaking  out  in  new  expressions  mo 
ment  by  moment,  baffling  beyond  measure,  yet  com 
pelling  me  to  forget  all  injustice  by  a  single  last  word. 

I  could  not  get  away  from  her  now  when  I  expected 
at  any  moment  to  face  the  one  man  a  soldier  wishes 
to  be  ready  for,  to  impress  favourably;  and  so  in 
the  afternoon  sunlight  I  could  bring  my  thoughts 
back  to  the  Chief  and  what  he  might  have  for  me  to 
do,  only  to  see  them  sneaking  back  to  that  old  mansion 
by  the  ferry,  with  its  open  door,  its  dead,  and  its  sin 
gle  light  still  burning  to  make  it  more  desolate  —  to 
the  slight  girlish  figure  travelling  southward  in  the 
company  of  some  countryman  on  her  way  to  renew 
her  troubles,  whatever  they  might  be. 

So  was  I  surprised  by  a  stir  about  headquarters, 
and,  turning,  saw  a  squad  of  officers  approaching  on 
horseback,  with  the  great  unmistakable  figure  lead 
ing  them.  They  passed  me  and  entered  the  house 
without  a  word,  only  returning  salutes.  None  among 
them  did  I  know,  except  the  straight  figure  of  Gen 
eral  Knox,  whom  I  had  seen  at  the  Robinson  house 
on  that  fateful  morning. 

Shortly,  however,  I  was  summoned  to  enter,  and 
found  a  large  low  apartment  occupied  by  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief,  who  was  talking  quietly  with  his 
officers. 

"  Nay,  Knox,  it  is  a  question  of  principle,  not  of 
the  individual.  He  may  be,  indeed,  I  know  he  is  a 

9 


ijo    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE-      * 

gentleman  and  a  fine  officer,  but  the  question  deals 
with  the  whole  discipline  of  the  army,  not  with  the 
case  of  a  single  man." 

"  It  is  a  terrible  duty,"  replied  the  other,  sadly 
shaking  his  head  as  he  gazed  out  of  the  window. 

The  General  saw  me  and  said  to  the  others : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  have  some  private  business  with 
this  young  man/'  And  they  went  silently  out  of  the 
room. 

"  Lieutenant  Balfort,"  said  Washington,  turning 
to  me  without  hesitation,  "  you  have  obeyed  quickly. 
It  is  correct  military  discipline." 

"  I  have  been  here  ten  hours,  your  Excellency." 

"  I  know,"  said  he.  "  I  was,  however,  otherwise 
occupied.  Lieutenant,"  he  continued,  "  in  such  times 
as  these,  judgments  must  be  made  quickly,  and  they 
must  be  correct  and  unflinching." 

I  did  not  reply. 

"  I  have  sent  for  you,"  continued  the  General, 
"to  give  you  a  commission  of  great  importance.  I 
do  not  know  you.  Can  I  trust  you  ?  " 

I  looked  him  full  in  the  eye,  and  met  a  glance  that 
made  me  shiver  in  spite  of  myself. 

"  You  can,  sir." 

"  I  think  I  can." 

Then  after  a  moment's  pause :  "  You  are  not  known 
to  any  one  in  this  Hudson  River  country  ?  " 

"  To  no  one  but  Colonel  Livingstone's  command." 

"  You  are  known  to  others." 

"Toothers?" 

"  To  a  dozen  British  soldiers,  five  of  whom  are 
at  large." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    131 

"  Yes,  that  is  true,  your  Excellency."  How  could 
he  have  heard  of  last  night's  work  so  soon  ? 

"  You  should  have  taken  them  all.  They  are  dan 
gerous  men,  and  one  who  escaped  is  more  dangerous 
than  all  the  dozen  put  together." 

"  It  was  impossible,  sir,  under  the  —  " 

"  Nothing  is  impossible,  young  man,"  said  Wash 
ington  quietly.  Then  he  went  on,  "  You  have  never 
been  in  New  York  ?  " 

"  No,  your  Excellency." 

Washington  paused  again. 

"  Lieutenant,  you  are  to  prepare  to  undertake  a 
difficult  work." 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency." 

"  You  are  to  go  to  New  York  at  once." 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency." 

"You  will  examine  the  situation,"  he  paused  a 
moment. 

"  The  situation  of  —  " 

"Of  Benedict  Arnold's  house,  at  No.  3  Broadway. 
You  are  to  form  some  plan  for  abducting  the  traitor 
Arnold  across  the  Hudson  to  Communipaw,  where 
you  will  be  safe." 

I  could  not  reply  now. 

"  You  will  then  bring  Arnold  alive  to  me  here." 
I  could  scarce  tell  where  I  was  with  this  calm  voice 
laying  upon  me  so  easily  such  a  work. 

"You  can  doit?" 

"  It  shall  be  done,  your  Excellency,  if  the  traitor 
is  in  the  town." 

"  You  will  also  search  out  a  man  who  goes  by  the 


132    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

name  of  Captain  Hazeltine  —  ah,  you  know  him  ? " 
for  I  had  started  involuntarily.  "  He  may  not  be  in 
the  town  when  you  get  there.  If  not,  wait  for  him 
unless  the  Arnold  matter  is  more  urgent." 

"  It  shall  be  done,  your  Excellency."  None  might 
question  this  man. 

"  If  you  bring  him  to  me  dead  or  alive,  you  will 
bring  the  most  dangerous  spy  in  the  British  army. 
Still  further:  Sir  Henry  Clinton  has  by  this  time 
heard  of  the  arrival  of  Rochambeau's  fleet,  and  will  be 
forming  some  plan  for  cutting  off  his  co-operation  with 
me.  I  must  know  this  plan  in  time  to  stop  it,  or  —  " 

"Or  —  " 

"  You  must  stop  it  yourself." 

"  It  shall  be  done,  your  Excellency."  Why  I  spoke 
with  such  confidence,  God  only  knows.  The  whole 
bearing  of  the  great  soldier  seemed  to  go  into  me 
for  that  moment  and  I  felt  certain  all  should  be  done 
as  he  said.  I  little  knew  what  was  to  come. 

"  Lieutenant,"  continued  Washington,  still  more 
slowly,  "no  human  soul  in  this  world  knows  of  this 
commission  but  you  and  I,  and  if  you  are  taken  —  " 

"  I  shall  not  be,  your  Excellency." 

"  If  you  are  taken,  sir,  neither  I  nor  any  human 
soul  can  save  your  life.  You  will  be  hung  as  a  spy 
and  I  cannot  lift  a  finger  to  help  you." 

"  I  understand,"  said  I,  looking  him  in  the  eye. 

"  Now,  as  to  your  necessaries,"  and  he  went  into 
another  room,  returning  in  a  moment  with  several 
papers.  In  the  instant  of  his  absence  I  had  made  up 
my  mind  to  one  thing,  and  as  he  returned,  I  asked : 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    133 

"  Your  Excellency  gives  me  three  commissions  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir  ?  "  said  he,  in  some  surprise. 

"  It  will  be  wiser  to  have  three  men  execute  them." 

"  That  is  impossible,"  he  answered  quickly.  "  Three 
American  soldiers  in  New  York  would  be  discovered 
in  an  hour." 

"  Not  the  three  that  will  go." 

"  It  is  impossible,"  reiterated  the  commander.  "  I 
am  putting  great  reliance  in  my  judgment  when  I  give 
you  these  weighty  commissions,  but  I  must  do  it  partly 
because  the  few  men  I  have  are  known  in  New  York, 
partly  because  I  rely  on  •  General  Putnam's  recom 
mendation  of  you." 

"  That  confidence  shall  not  be  misplaced." 

"  I  feel  that  it  is  not." 

"  Besides,  if  I  fail,  as  you  say,  sir,  I  shall  be  hanged, 
and  that  will  be  the  end  of  it." 

"  What  is  in  your  mind  ?  "  he  asked,  with  a  slow, 
quiet  smile. 

"  There  are  two  lieutenants  in  Colonel  Livingstone's 
command." 

Washington  glanced  at  a  bundle  of  papers  on  the 
table  again.  "Lieutenants  Curtis  and  Acton?" 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency." 

"  You  have  known  them  long  and  well  ?  " 

"  I  have  known  them  scarcely  two  weeks,  but  I 
know  them  well." 

"  They  may  betray  you." 

"  That  will  be  impossible." 

"How  is  that?" 

"  Because  I  shall  not  tell  them  anything,  your 
Excellency." 


134    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

'  They  will  go  with  you  in  ignorance  ?  " 
'*  They  will  go  with  me  without  knowing  the  pur 
pose  of  their  journey.    If  they  succeed,  they  will  know 
soon  enough.     If  they  are  taken,  they  will  die  with 
out  ever  knowing  why  they  died." 
"  Then  they  are  brave  men." 

"  That  they  are,  your  Excellency,"  said  I,  earnestly. 
"And  I  beg  you,  sir,  to  let  me  have  their  assistance 
and  counsel." 

"  I  know  one  of  them  well,  the  other  I  have  heard 
somewhat  of.  You  will  answer  for  them  ?  " 
"  I  will  answer  for  them,  your  Excellency." 
Thereupon  he  sat  down  in  his  chair  and  looked 
thoughtfully  out  of  the  window  for  a  few  moments. 
Then,  collecting  himself  again,  he  opened  the  pack 
age  of  papers  brought  from  the  inner  room,  and, 
selecting  two,  handed  them  to  me.  They  were  pecul 
iar  bits  of  waterproof  paper  not  more  than  a  couple 
of  inches  by  one  in  measurement,  and  as  I  read  them 
carefully  I  could  not  repress  an  exclamation.  Both 
were  signed  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  and  read  as  follows : 

"  Captain  Hazeltine  is  to  be  allowed  to  pass  and  repass  the 
British  lines  anywhere  at  any  time  of  day  or  night. 

"CLINTON,  Commander-in-Chief." 

"  The  bearer  is  on  special  business  by  my  orders.  He  is  to 
be  allowed  to  pass  and  repass  all  British  lines  at  any  time  with 
one  person  accompanying  him. 

"  CLINTON,  Commander-in-Chief." 

Neither  date  nor  other  mark  stood  on  these  letters. 
How  Washington  could  have  obtained  these  price- 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    135 

less  passes  was,  and  still  is,  beyond  me.  But  no  one 
yet  knows  the  workings  of  that  mind  and  the  power 
for  details  and  foresight  and  preparation  he  could 
compass. 

"  Lieutenant,"  said  he,  "  it  would  be  as  well  for  you 
to  be  dead  as  to  have  these  papers  found  on  you  within 
our  lines,  for  you  would  soon  be  dead  thereafter." 

"  I  shall  need  an  order  for  money,  and  an  order 
to  Colonel  Livingstone  releasing  Curtis  and  Acton, 
your  Excellency,"  said  I. 

Again  a  smile  played  over  the  sad  features  as  he 
said  kindly: 

"  You  have  a  cool  head,  young  man.  Keep  it  always 
on  your  shoulders.  And  now  good-bye  and  good 
fortune !  "  And  with  the  same  cool  self-possessed 
voice,  after  the  orders  were  written,  he  signified  to 
me  that  the  interview  was  over.  With  a  salute  I 
went  out,  procured  money  with  an  order,  and  then 
went  to  the  quarters  assigned  me. 

Too  tired  to  strip  for  sleep,  I  lay  down  and  thought 
of  the  future.  Hazeltine  was  ahead  and  had  the  pow 
ers  of  Clinton's  army  behind  him.  He  knew  us  all 
three.  Furthermore,  he  would  do  much,  I  knew  in 
stinctively,  to  take  me,  for  that  I  had  defeated  some 
thing  he  had  to  do  with  Mistress  Philipse.  And  a 
man  who  would  go  to  the  daring  of  sending  his  agents 
into  a  camp  to  take  one,  would  do  much  to  correct 
his  mistake.  I  must  not  be  known  to  leave  Tappan, 
therefore,  nor  could  Acton  and  Curtis  be  known  to 
leave  Verplancks.  'T  was  as  plain  as  a  pikestaff  — 
and  so  I  slept. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

PROBLEM    3 

'  F  I  ^  WAS  a  fine  cold  morning  that  dawned  after 
my  interview  with  the  Commander-in-Chief 
1  — a  morning  that  will  be  memorable  to  me 
always  as  the  first  and  only  time  when  I  became  a 
play-actor  and  took  on  myself  to  play  a  role.  The 
air  had  that  cool,  crisp  feeling  that  tells  us  winter 
has  begun  to  put  in  his  finger  and  that  soon  we  shall 
have  snow.  It  was  by  far  too  cold  at  seven  o'clock 
to  be  out  in  the  open  air,  —  at  least,  so  thought  the 
ferryman  at  Gowan's  Ferry,  as  he  betook  him  to  the 
shore  upon  the  west  bank  of  the  river  to  see  to  his 
boat.  He  was  but  partially  awake;  for,  be  it  said 
under  four  eyes,  he  had  not  betaken  himself  to  his 
rest  the  night  before  at  a  seasonable  hour,  and  con 
sequently  he  had  slept  late,  which  is  but  natural,  and 
no  doubt  occurs  anywhere,  whether  the  sleeper  be 
a  ferryman  at  Gowan's  Ferry  or  a  king  of  England, 
or,  for  that  matter,  any  one  who,  being  human,  has 
a  regard  for  nature's  sweet  restorer. 

The  ferryman,  upon  finding  his  boat  in  readiness 
for  whatever  emergency,  cast  a  glance  over  the  dark, 
cold  waters  of  the  Hudson,  rubbed  first  one  ear  and 
then  the  other,  and,  recording  a  silent  hope  that  all 
others  in  that  vicinity  might  have  been  up  late  the 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    137 

night  before  and  therefore  sleeping  late  on  this  chilly 
morning  —  the  ferryman,  I  say,  having  allowed  him 
self  this  course  of  reasoning  in  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  write  it  here,  was  in  the  act  of  turning  to 
wards  his  small  house  with  the  prospect  of  a  short 
nap  between  the  sheets  he  had  left  cozy  and  warm, 
when  he  became  aware  of  the  approach  of  a  middle- 
aged  gentleman.  'T  was  evident  even  to  the  diluted 
wits  of  the  ferryman  that  his  fervent  prayer  had 
not  been  answered.  And  furthermore  he  realised  but 
too  well  that  the  gentleman,  reasonably  well-to-do, 
mounted  on  his  sleek,  substantial  horse,  showed  un 
mistakable  signs  of  an  intention  to  cross  the  Hudson. 
Now  this  being  neither  agreeable  nor  yet  amusing  to 
the  ferryman,  he  became  on  the  instant  filled  with  un 
reasoning  spleen,  though  in  reality  he  was  of  the  most 
even  and  kindly  disposition. 

The  well-to-do  middle-aged  gentleman  on  the  sub 
stantial  cob,  you  must  know,  was  none  other  than 
Mr.  Argyle  Bartlett.  Mr.  Bartlett  was  evidently 
from  Boston,  for  there  was  that  about  him  which 
told  of  the  New  Englander;  and  then,  as  now,  most 
substantial-looking  middle-aged  gentlemen  of  New 
England  birth  hailed  originally  from  Boston.  There 
was,  however,  something  about  the  cut  of  his  coat, 
which,  though  scrupulously  clean,  was  of  a  somewhat 
ancient  pattern,  that  suggested  that  Mr.  Bartlett 
might  possibly  have  come  from  a  town  somewhat 
nearer  the  backwoods  than  Boston.  Mr.  Bartlett 
appeared  to  be,  in  other  words,  nothing  more  nor 
less  than  a  merchant  of  New  England,  who,  having 


138    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

set  aside  some  profits  from  his  business  year  by  year, 
seemed  now  wandered  somewhat  far  from  his  house 
hold  gods  and  in  no  very  fortunate  season.  And, 
though  the  ferryman  did  not  know  him  from  Father 
Adam,  or  from  me,  for  that  matter,  he  realised  that 
he  must  row  him  across.  As  the  traveller  approached, 
the  ferryman  perceived  that  he  had  pistols  in  his 
saddle-holster  and  that  he  wore  a  sword.  That  again 
went  to  show  that  Mr.  Argyle  Bartlett  was  as  shrewd 
as  he  was  scrupulously  clean,  thereby  exhibiting  two 
qualities  that  marked  him  as  a  New  Englander.  "  In 
such  times,"  he  had  evidently  said  to  himself,  "  in 
such  times  it  is  wise  to  go  prepared  for  anything." 
Consequently  he  went  armed. 

"  My  good  man,"  said  Mr.  Bartlett,  pulling  up  his 
horse  at  the  landing,  "  I  would  cross  to  the  other 
side.  I  am  fortunate  to  find  you  at  your  boat." 

The  ferryman,  still  bearing  in  mind  the  warm 
sheets,  grew  upon  the  instant  even  more  untrue  to 
his  better  self.  He  merely  motioned  towards  the 
ferry  and  moved  over  to  it  himself.  They  were  soon 
out  on  the  river  and  shortly  touched  the  eastern  bank. 

About  noon  Mr.  Argyle  Bartlett  came  up  with  the 
Verplancks  pickets,  and  presenting  his  passes  was 
taken  into  Colonel  Livingstone's  presence  by  the  cor 
poral  of  the  guard.  He  explained  his  desire  to  be 
allowed  to  go  on,  stating  that  he  was  extremely 
pleased  to  be  within  American  soldiers'  protection, 
as  he  had  had  an  uneasy  time  for  the  last  five  days. 
He  carried  a  note  from  the  officer  in  command  of 
the  American  forces  at  Philadelphia,  notifying  all 


¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    139 

whom  it  might  concern  that  he  was  Mr.  Argyle 
Bartlett,  merchant  of  Boston,  and  on  his  way  home. 

Strangers  —  such  strangers  as  one  might  talk  with 
—  were  few  enough  in  that  camp,  and  hence,  after 
a  short  conversation  as  to  the  condition  of  affairs  in 
Philadelphia,  the  Colonel  was  delighted  to  grant  his 
request  to  be  allowed  to  stay  and  have  dinner  with 
the  officers.  At  this  moment,  indeed,  the  mess  room 
began  to  fill. 

Curtis  and  Acton,  with  three  or  four  others,  soon 
entered,  and  the  conversation  became  general,  though 
somewhat  guarded;  for  these  men  had  learned  by 
long  experience  not  to  trust  wholly  even  their  own 
families. 

As  it  chanced,  Acton  sat  beside  Mr.  Bartlett,  and 
they  were  soon  talking  over'  the  South. 

"  I  knew  an  Acton  of  Virginia,  in  Jamestown,  long 
ago,"  said  Mr.  Bartlett,  "a  fine,  tall  man.  But,  let 
me  see,  he  must  be  sixty  —  sixty-six  at  least  now." 

"  Yes,  there  are  several  branches  of  the  family 
there,  and  I  had  two  uncles  who  would  be  that  age." 

"  Aye,  to  be  sure,"  said  Mr.  Bartlett.  "  What  was 
Acton's  first  name  now,  —  John  ?  Nay,  nay,  that  was 
not  it." 

"Was  it  Edward?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  —  Edward.  Indeed  so  't  was.  '  Ted  ' 
we  called  him." 

"  Yes,  he  was,  I  know,  always  called  '  Ted/  " 

"  And  how  is  he  now  ?  " 

Acton's  face  saddened.  "  He  died  three  years  ago 
of  the  fever." 


i4o   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   v 

"  You  do  not  tell  me  so !  "  cried  Mr.  Bartlett,  lean 
ing  towards  Acton,  with  that  sympathy  that  told  of 
his  real  feelings.  No  one  but  Curtis  noticed  anything 
beyond  the  ordinary  in  this.  No  eyes  but  the  lieu 
tenant's  caught  a  quick  movement  —  not  even  those 
of  Acton  himself. 

Then  sitting  back  in  his  chair,  Mr.  Bartlett  let  his 
eyes  look  inward  and  seemed  to  be  recalling  the  old 
times  they  two,  Ted  and  he,  had  had  together. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  he  continued,  shaking  his  head  sadly, 
"  JT  is  sad  news  to  hear  it.  I  knew  him  well.  We 
had  many  a  hunt,  he  and  I,  in  the  old  days,  and  more 
than  one  scramble  to  turn  the  Indians  off  the  scent 
back  in  the  fifties."  Then,  turning  to  the  colonel,  he 
said :  "  There  be  good  staunch  Livingstones  in  the 
South  too,  Colonel." 

"  Indeed  there  are,"  said  that  officer,  "  and  relatives 
of  mine  too,  no  doubt;  but  'tis  many  a  day  since  I 
knew  of  them." 

And  so  it  was  natural  that  the  talk  turned  on  the 
havoc  war  was  making  in  families,  in  which  all  joined 
except  Curtis,  who  seemed  averse  to  talking  on  the 
subject.  And  then  after  a  time  Mr.  Bartlett  thanked 
the  colonel  for  his  courtesy,  wished  him  a  speedy  con 
clusion  to  the  war,  accepted  a  good  pistol  as  an  added 
protection  on  his  journey,  and  set  out  to  strike  the 
North  Castle  road. 

What  followed  has  been  told  me  so  many  times 
since  by  my  friends  that  I  know  it  by  heart.  An 
hour  passed,  and  Acton,  Curtis,  the  doctor,  and  sev 
eral  others  were  still  sitting  about  the  room.  The 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    141 

guard  had  been  changed  and  at  the  moment  there 
was  naught  to  do.  Acton  sitting  by  the  door  evi 
dently  caught  a  draught  of  cool  October  air;  for 
on  a  sudden  his  gaze  grew  fixed,  his  head  went  back 
and  he  sneezed  loud  enough  to  lift  the  roof.  He 
thrust  his  hand  into  his  pocket  and  fished  out  a 
kerchief. 

"Egad,  Acton,  my  lad,"  said  the  doctor,  "  ye '11 
have  the  spasms  if  ye  repeat  that.  —  Helloa !  what 's 
here  ?  Aha !  my  friend.  We  've  got  thee  now  —  a 
love-token,  as  I  'm  a  sinner ! "  and  he  stooped  to 
pick  up  a  paper  that  had  come  from  the  other's 
pocket  along  with  the  kerchief.  But  the  lieutenant 
was  too  quick  for  him. 

As  Acton  picked  it  up  he  glanced  carelessly  at  it 
and  then  his  gaze  became  fixed.  A  puzzled  look 
grew  between  his  eyes,  and  finally  he  glanced  at  the 
others. 

"What  is't?"  asked  the  adjutant. 

"  T  is  but  a  poor  chaff,  and  badly  done  at  that !  " 

"Well,  man,  what  is't?     Read  it!"  said  several. 

Curtis  was  smoking  quietly  some  distance  away, 
but  he  turned  to  listen  as  Acton  said: 

"  A  sorry  hit,  as  I  'm  a  sinner." 

"  But  what  have  ye  there,  man,"  said  the  doctor. 
"Read  it  out  and  let  us  hear  the  hit." 

Acton  then  read  slowly  the  following: 

"  PROBLEM  3. 

"A  can  ride  to  Hardcastle  in  four  hours  at  six  miles  an  hour 
by  the  shorter  road.  B  can  do  it  in  three  hours  at  eight  miles 
an  hour  on  the  same  road,  starting  earlier.  How  far  must  C  go 


i4*    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

by  the  longer  road  if  he  travels  six  hours  and  goes  at  the  rate 
represented  by  the  sum  of  one  half  the  rate  of  each  of  the 
others,  and  when  must  he  start  in  order  to  arrive  one  hour 
after  A?" 

No  one  could  keep  back  a  smile  at  the  puzzled 
expression  on  the  lieutenant's  face  as  he  read  this 
simple  problem,  that  is  to  say,  no  one  except  Curtis; 
and,  as  he  got  up  with  the  others  to  look  at  the 
paper,  his  face  took  on  a  thoughtful  look  that  passed 
unnoticed  at  the  moment. 

"  Oh,  lad,  you  cannot  hoodwink  us,"  laughed  the 
adjutant.  "  You  're  trying  to  coach  yourself  in  the 
rule  of  three." 

"  Keep  it  up,"  cried  the  doctor,  "  and  ye  '11  come  out 
first  in  the  class,"  and  thereupon  every  one  laughed. 

At  that  the  lieutenant  grew  a  bit  vexed,  which  was 
as  near  as  he  ever  came  to  anger. 

"Well,  'tis  a  weak  skid,"  he  muttered.  "And  I 
hope  ye  like  the  look  of  it,  Rob,"  he  added,  as  Curtis 
took  the  sheet  of  paper  and  examined  it  carefully. 

"  O,  aye,"  said  the  other,  carelessly,  "  't  is  paper, 
no  doubt.  Keep  it,  man,  and  study  out  the  answer." 

"  Not  I,"  cried  Acton,  and,  crumbling  it  up,  he 
threw  it  under  the  table  and  stalked  out.  The  others 
followed  on  different  duties,  but  Curtis  remained, 
smiling  thoughtfully.  In  a  few  moments  he  reached 
under  the  table,  picked  up  the  paper,  smoothed  it 
out,  and  studied  it  with  an  amount  of  care  that  would 
have  set  an  observer  thinking.  Then,  carefully  fold 
ing  it,  he  put  it  into  his  pocket  and  went  in  search 
of  his  friend. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    143 

He  found  him  walking  along  the  river  bank. 

"  John,  my  lad,"  said  he,  "  you  're  very  tough  in 
the  skull." 

Acton,  colouring  hotly,  turned  upon  him. 

"  Where  are  thy  wits,  man  ?  "  said  Curtis.  Acton 
said  not  a  word,  as  they  walked  slowly  from  the 
camp.  When  they  were  in  the  open  fields  and  well 
out  of  hearing,  Curtis  took  out  the  paper  containing 
"  Problem  3  "  and  held  it  towards  his  friend. 

"  Now,  John,  read  it  again." 

"  I  tell  thee,  Curtis,  thou  'rt  ridiculing  me,  and  't  is 
not  to  be  borne." 

"  I  was  never  more  serious  in  my  life." 

"But  'tis  all  nonsense!" 

"  T  is  naught  of  the  kind." 

"  Well,"  said  the  other,  trying  to  smile,  in  order 
to  keep  himself  from  growing  vexed  again,  "  give  it 
me,"  and  he  read  it  again. 

"Now  solve  it." 

"  Rob,  't  is  unfair  in  you  to  carry  the  thing  to  such 
lengths." 

"  'T  is  you  that  are  unfair,  my  friend,"  answered 
the  other,  seriously  enough. 

"  Why  I  can  answer  it  in  a  moment.  So  —  4  times 
6  is  24,  3  times  8  is  —  " 

"  John  Acton,"  said  Curtis,  pulling  up  in  his  walk 
and  facing  his  friend,  "  what  is  thy  name  ?  " 

"  Come,  lad,  let  it  drop !  "  said  the  other  in  an 
altered  tone,  "  lest  I  lose  my  temper." 

"  Thy  name,  man !  " 

"  Acton ! "  roared  the  lieutenant,  now  actually 
irritated. 


i44    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"What  does  it  begin  with?" 

"A!    but  I  will  not  —  " 

"  What  is  our  friend's  name  who  left  us  a  few 
days  ago  ?  " 

Acton  looked  at  the  other  a  moment  and  then  said 
slowly : 

"  Balfort." 

"  And  his  name  begins  —  " 

"With  B." 

"  And  my  name  —  " 

"  Is  Curtis  and  begins  with  C,"  said  Acton,  pulling 
a  long  face  and  looking  at  the  paper  in  his  hand. 

"  Now  read  '  Problem  3 '  again,"  said  Curtis, 
"  putting  in  the  names." 

Acton  began: 

"  Acton  can  ride  to  Hardcastle  — " 

"Which  might  be,"  interrupted  the  other,  "with 
out  much  change  —  " 

"  North  Castle,"  muttered  Acton.  "  Acton  can 
ride  to  North  Castle  in  four  hours  at  six  miles  an 
hour  by  the  shorter  road.  Balfort  can  do  it  in  three 
hours  at  eight  miles  an  hour  on  the  same  road, 
starting  earlier  —  " 

"  Which  he  has  already  done,"  put  in  Curtis. 

"  How  far  must  Curtis  go  by  the  longer  road,  if 
he  travels  six  hours  and  goes  at  the  rate  represented 
by  the  sum  of  one  half  the  rate  of  each  of  the  others, 
and  when  should  he  start,  in  order  to  arrive  half  an 
hour  after  Acton  ?  " 

The  men  looked  at  one  another  with  the  two  different 
expressions  of  countenance  that  may  well  be  imagined. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    145 

I  Ve  thought  often  since  how  I  would  like  to  have 
seen  them  then.     Finally,  Acton  gasped : 

"  Rob,  I  am  indeed  an  idiot.1' 

"  T  is  precisely  what  I  said,"  answered  the  other, 
drily. 

"  Then  we  meet  Balfort  at  North  Castle." 

"  Certainly." 

"  And  you  go  by  the  lower  and  I  by  the  upper 
road." 

"  Precisely." 

'•'  And  you  are  to  get  there  half  an  hour  after  me." 

"  Exactly."  Curtis's  replies  were  the  pith  of 
dryness. 

"And  you  are  to  start  an  hour  and  a  half  after  me." 

"  Correct  again." 

"  Then  we  shall  not  be  noticed  leaving  here  nor 
arriving  there." 

"  Ye  grow  sagacious,  my  friend." 

"  'T  is  not  only  idiocy ;   't  is  nigh  upon  stupidity !  " 

"  Which  I  presumed  to  suggest  but  a  moment 
ago,"  replied  the  lieutenant. 

"  But  wilt  tell  me,  then,  how,  in  heaven's  name, 
the  thing  came  into  my  pocket  ?  " 

"Aye,  now,  that's  it!     How  think  ye?" 

Acton  said  not  a  word. 

"  Was  it  there  before  lunch  ?  " 

"  Let  me  see,  —  no !  it  could  not  have  been.  I 
set  that  kerchief  in  my  pocket  just  as  we  started  for 
the  mess." 

"Didst  sit  by  any  one  at  lunch,  perhaps?"  asked 
Curtis,  blandly. 

10 


146    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"Aye!  I  sat—  Rob!  Rob!  ye  would  not  tell 
me  —  ye  do  not  mean  —  that  Mr.  Argyle  Bartlett, 
merchant  of  Boston,  was  Merton  Balf ort  ?  " 

"  At  last,"  said  Curtis,  casting  his  eyes  heavenward. 

"  Well,  may  I  be  damned !  "  exclaimed  Acton. 

"  Nay,"  answered  the  other,  laughing,  "  rather  be 
ready  to  go  by  the  upper  road  to  North  Castle  in 
four  hours." 

"  But  this  must  be  serious,  if  such  care  is 
necessary." 

"  Still  more,  it  would  seem  important  that  no 
American  soldier  should  know  of  it." 

"  And  how  do  we  get  leave  to  go?  " 

"  There  you  have  me,"  replied  Curtis.  "  T  is  the 
one  thing  that  catches  me.  Yet  if  Balfort  finds  it 
necessary  to  go  to  this  length  to  insure  secrecy,  you 
may  say  surely  he  has  arranged  in  some  way  for 
our  absence.  So  let  us  go  back,  get  ready,  and  — 
wait."  Upon  which  they  returned  to  the  barracks. 

Acton  was  on  the  point  of  putting  together  a  few 
necessaries  for  the  journey,  when  an  orderly  entered 
and  reported  that  Colonel  Livingstone  would  see  him 
at  headquarters  at  once.  He  smiled  as  he  thought 
of  what  perplexity  he  might  have  been  in  if  Curtis 
had  not  cleared  the  way.  Passing  by  his  friend's 
quarters,  he  stepped  in  and  found  him  quietly  smoking. 

"  I  have  my  summons  already/'  said  he  softly. 

"  And  I  must  be  at  headquarters  at  five  this  after 
noon,"  replied  the  other. 

"  Decidedly  the  thing  is  serious." 

"  Decidedly." 


¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    147 

By  half  after  five  Curtis  had  passed  the  pickets 
to  the  south. 

By  seven  Acton  took  the  upper  road  and  started 
his  horse  at  a  six  mile  gait  for  North  Castle.  And 
it  seemed  as  if  no  one  in  the  world  knew  anything  of 
all  this,  but  General  Washington  in  Tappan  and  the 
two  men  themselves  besides  Colonel  Livingstone. 
Yet  things  are  not  always  as  they  seem. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE   EPISODE   OF   HOLT'S   TAVERN 

NORTH  CASTLE  was  hardly  a  village  in 
1780,  for  it  consisted  of  but  a  cluster  of 
houses  along  one  road.  Yet  did  it  boast  a 
general  supply  store,  and  was  proud  in  the  possession 
of  a  house  for  travellers  known  as  Holt's  Tavern.  This 
house  was  no  different  from  any  other  in  the  town, 
except  that  perhaps  it  was  a  bit  larger,  and  that  it  had 
a  sign  swinging  before  the  main  door.  'T  was  older, 
too,  than  many  of  the  other  habitations  in  the  village, 
and  the  slightly  projecting  upper  stories  witnessed  that 
it  had  been  built  when  the  fear  of  Indians  had  been 
greater  than  the  fear  of  Tories  to-day.  This  pro 
jection  of  the  upper  story  was  not  more  than  a  foot, 
but  if,  as  you  entered  by  the  front  door,  you  cast  a 
look  upward,  there  might  you  see  holes  at  regular 
intervals  which  pierced  the  small  projection.  They 
were  stuffed  now  with  paper  to  keep  out  the  cold; 
but  there  had  been  a  time  when  our  fathers  had  stood 
in  the  upper  chambers  and  fired  good  shots  through 
these  same  openings,  sending  many  a  treacherous 
Indian  to  his  own  happy  or  unhappy  hunting-ground. 
Within,  the  house  consisted,  on  the  ground  floor,  of 
a  hall  running  through  to  the  back.  On  either  side 
were  moderately  large  rooms,  and  at  the  back  of  the 


?    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    149 

hall  was  a  small  flight  of  steps  going  up  to  the  second 
story,  which  in  turn  was  divided  into  four  or  five 
rooms. 

To  the  right  of  the  door,  in  the  large  room,  burned 
now,  at  eleven  of  the  night,  a  large  wood  fire.  Tables 
stood  here  and  there,  and  at  the  back  ran  a  bench,  or 
bar,  behind  which  sat  a  fat  old  woman  knitting  on  a 
high  stool,  so  that  she  might  sew  and  still  keep  her 
bulging  eye  on  all  that  took  place  within  the  chamber. 
By  the  fire  sat  two  men  whom  I  rightly  guessed  to  be 
American  soldiers,  and  in  the  corner,  by  a  table,  occu 
pied  in  eating  an  evening  meal,  which  the  officious  inn 
keeper,  bustling  about  the  room,  had  put  before  me, 
sat  my  wearied  self,  more  anxious  than  I  would  have 
confessed,  waiting  for  the  two  friends,  the  fear  grow 
ing  on  me  that  dear  old  Acton  would  never  think  to 
look  in  his  pocket  nor  comprehend  the  message  when 
he  did.  I  had  thought  to  leave  it  with  Curtis,  but,  no 
opportunity  offering,  I  was  forced  to  take  Acton  as 
the  means,  and  just  before  going  I  had  left  the  Gen 
eral's  release  for  the  two  lieutenants  at  the  colonel's 
headquarters.  'T  was  an  anxious  two  hours,  only 
brought  to  a  close  by  the  entrance  of  John  Acton  in 
civilian's  dress.  He  knew  me  at  once,  for  Mr.  Argyle 
Bartlett  was  safely  stowed  away  in  the  woods  back  on 
the  roadside,  tied  up  in  a  bundle  of  his  own  clothes. 

I  feared  at  first  that  the  honest  fellow  would  come 
up  to  me  and  blurt  out  the  whole  thing,  but,  as  I  after 
wards  learned,  Curtis  had  given  him  the  best  of  lessons 
in  the,  to  him,  quite  unknown  art  of  deception.  Thus 
he  stepped  into  the  room,  ordered  a  mug  of  aie  and. 


150    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   v 

like  myself,  took  a  pipe  and  some  tobacco,  and,  sitting 
himself  near  me,  looked  what  he  doubtless  was  —  the 
picture  of  uneasiness  and  discontent. 

While  the  two  soldiers  talked  quietly  by  the  fire, 
I  turned  to  him  and  asked: 

"  Have  you  come  from  the  westward  ?  " 

"  Aye,  from  the  river." 

"  Have  you  heard  what  is  to  become  of  Andre  ?  " 

"  No,  there  was  naught  given  out  when  I  left." 

At  the  mention  of  Andre  the  two  soldiers  by  the  fire 
stopped  their  conversation,  and  one  of  them,  turning 
toward  the  table,  said: 

"  He  was  taken  from  here  day  before  yesterday." 

"  Is  't  known  where  he  is  confined  ?  "  I  asked.  The 
landlord  here  put  in  his  oar,  and  ventured : 

"  They  do  say  as  they  took  him  to  Tappan  for  trial." 

"  Ah,  no,  Holt,  't  is  not  likely  so,"  said  the  soldier. 
"  He  went  up  to  West  Point,  I  am  sure." 

"  We  cannot  say  a  word  here,"  said  I,  in  a  low  voice, 
in  Acton's  ear  at  this  moment.  "  And  yet  must  I  talk 
with  you  as  soon  as  Curtis  arrives." 

"  Well,  but  would  he  not  go  that  way  sure  ?  "  asked 
the  tavern-keeper.  "  They  'd  be  afeared  of  a  rescue 
down  below." 

"  Can't  we  go  outside  ?  "  whispered  Acton.  Lord 
forgive  him!  his  whispers  were  like  the  rumbling  of 
thunder. 

"  Outside !  "  exclaimed  the  soldier,  "  what  is  there 
to  go  outside  of  ?  " 

Acton  looked  confused. 

"This  gentleman  refers  to  the  frigate  Vulture,  which 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    151 

has  been  lying  off  Teller's  Point.  Doubtless  he  is 
right,  and  mayhap  the  escort  was  instructed  to  keep 
well  outside  the  reach  of  her  guns." 

"  O,  aye,  't  is  likely  so,"  said  the  soldier,  "  for  I  have 
heard  she  lies  there." 

I  caught  Acton  on  the  point  of  saying  something  to 
wreck  the  whole  business,  and  had  just  given  him  a 
jab  beneath  the  table  when  the  door  opened.  Every 
one  turned  to  see  who  else  might  be  arriving  at  this 
late  hour,  and  I  could  not  help  a  silent  curse  at  the  luck 
to  see  two  strange  men  enter,  nod  to  the  tavern-keeper, 
and  walk  over  to  the  fire. 

"  A  cold  night,  sirs,"  said  one  of  the  new-comers. 

"  Aye,  the  year  's  moving  on,"  answered  the  big- 
voiced  soldier. 

"  Bad !  bad !  "  said  I,  softly,  "  but  we  must  wait  for 
him." 

Acton  nodded.  Meanwhile  the  new-comers  ordered 
a  cold  supper,  the  landlord  having  nothing  else,  and  sat 
them  down  by  the  table  near  us.  They  had  scarcely 
settled  to  their  meal  when  again  the  door  opened  and 
Curtis  entered.  Even  the  tavern-keeper  looked  sur 
prised  to  see  such  a  company  so  late ;  but  a  poke  from 
his  matter-of-fact  wife  sent  him  about  his  business. 
Curtis  had  changed  his  uniform  and  was  dressed  like 
any  well-to-do  young  New  Yorker  in  knee  breeches 
of  snuff  colour,  top-boots,  a  double-breasted  waistcoat, 
with  a  frilled  shirt  and  a  long  buff  coat.  He  threw  off 
a  riding-coat  and  discovered  his  pistols  and  a  long 
hanger. 

The  calm,  serious  face  was  as  composed  as  usual, 


152    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

nor  did  the  man  disturb  himself  to  look  at  any  one  in 
particular,  but  took  the  seat  assigned  to  him  near  the 
rest  of  us.  One  of  the  strangers  spoke  to  Acton  after 
a  moment. 

"  You  say  that  you  have  come  from  the  westward, 
sir.  Did  you  find  the  road  free  from  traffic  ?  " 

"  I  met  not  a  soul  from  the  time  I  left  the  river." 

"  We.  two  are  bound  westward,  and  't  is  said  the 
road  to  Gowan's  Ferry  is  full  of  these  wild  Skinners 
and  cowboys." 

"  I  can  answer  for  that  road,"  volunteered  Curtis. 
"  Not  a  soul  is  stirring  to-night,  for  I  have  but  just 
come  over  it." 

Meantime  I  had  caught  Curtis's  eye  and  by  an  almost 
imperceptible  movement  saw  the  same  thought  in  his 
mind  that  was  working  in  mine.  These  two  men 
coming  from  the  east  had  a  suspicious  manner.  Neither 
of  us  could  have  said  just  why  at  that  moment,  but 
by  this  glance  we  both  agreed  to  watch  them.  The 
meal  went  on  and  in  a  few  moments  the  two  strangers 
lit  their  pipes  and  went  over  to  the  fire.  Curtis  was 
still  eating. 

"  What  are  we  to  do  ?  "  I  asked  under  my  breath. 

"  Wait,"  said  Curtis  in  the  same  voice,  and  then  he 
added  aloud :  "  Master  —  er  —  " 

"  Holt,  sir,  at  your  bidding,  sir,"  said  the  landlord, 
trying  to  bend  his  fat  belly  in  a  bow  and  rubbing  his 
hands  together. 

"  Master  Holt,  can  you  give  me  a  room  to-night  ?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  gentlemen,"  said  the  tavern-keeper  ef 
fusively.  "  Certainly,  certainly.  I  suppose,  now,  these 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    153 

two  gentlemen,"  pointing  to  the  two  men  from  the 
east,  "  will  have  a  room  by  themselves  —  a  large  room 
't  is,  at  that,  sir,  and  I  can  give  you  three  gentlemen 
accommodation  easily.  Of  course,  in  these  times,  sirs, 
perhaps  two  will  never  mind  being  together.  We  keep 
a  fine  tavern,  sirs,  none  such  another  the  whole  coun 
try  round,  and  my  madam,  she  —  " 

The  landlord  stopped  abruptly  and  turned  around, 
for  the  door  at  the  back  of  the  room  opened  and  a 
little  shaver  ran  up  to  him  and  was  now  tugging  at 
his  coat.  The  host  stopped  and  listened  to  what  the 
boy  had  to  say.  Then  out  rang  a  howl  from  him,  and 
he  turned  a  clay  colour: 

"  My  God!  Oh!  oh!  sirs,  we  shall  all  be  killed!  " 
and  he  wrung  his  hands. 

"  What  is  't,  Holt,  man?  What 's  to  do?  "  cried  the 
two  soldiers. 

"  Oh,  Lord !  Oh !  they  're  here  again !  they  Ve  been 
here  before.  I  know  'em.  They  know  I  have  a  little 
set  by  for  my  old  age !  I  'm  ruined !  I  'm  ruined !  " 
and  the  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks. 

At  this  moment  the  woman  shrieked  from  behind 
the  counter,  and  we  knew  that  the  wife  had  the  news 
as  well.  Every  one  had  arisen  and  was  standing, 
when  such  an  interruption  at  this  moment  so  bewil 
dered  and  maddened  me  that  I  cried  out: 

"Well,  man,  what  in  the  devil's  name  ails  thee? 
Speak  up ! " 

"  The  Skinners  !  the  Skinners !  They  're  coming  to 
rob  me,"  screamed  the  terrified  tavern-keeper. 

"  In   that   case/'    said   the   calm   voice   of   Curtis, 


i54   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   v 

"  'twould  not  be  amiss  to  drop  that  bar  across  the  front 
door  and  pull  the  shutters  to." 

Evidently  the  landlord  had  a  little  sense  left,  for  in 
a  bound  he  was  at  the  door  and  had  the  huge  iron  bar 
in  its  place  between  two  iron  staples.  At  the  same 
moment  one  of  the  two  soldiers  stepped  to  the  front 
window  to  close  the  wooden  shutters.  His  head  had 
scarcely  passed  through  the  frame  when  a  loud  report 
came  to  us  from  outside,  and  the  poor  fellow  rolled 
back  and  fell  upon  the  floor,  shot  clean  through  the 
head. 

'T  was  quite  enough  to  break  the  spell  that  hung 
over  us.  Every  one  was  talking  and  running  to  block 
ade  windows  with  tables  and  chairs,  for  most  men  of 
those  days  had  had  some  training  in  such  scenes  be 
fore  now.  Curtis,  Acton,  and  I  naturally  drew  to 
gether,  and  as  we  thrust  a  table  against  a  window, 
another  shot  came  through  it,  and  a  pounding  began 
on  the  door. 

"Tis  bad,  bad!"  I  muttered. 

"  On  the  contrary,"  said  Curtis,  "  nothing  could  be 
more  fortunate." 

"  I  do  not  see  it  in  that  light,"  answered  I,  testily. 
"  We  shall  be  separated  without  having  talked." 

"  On  the  contrary,  again,  my  friend,  we  can  now 
talk  without  fear  of  interruption;  while  before  we 
should  have  been  hard  put  to  it  to  find  a  way." 

Another  shot  came  through  the  table  and  clipped  a 
bit  off  the  shoulder  of  Acton's  coat. 

"  But  we  shall  be  killed,  and  then  our  expedition  will 
"fail,"  cried  I. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *   155 

"  Nay,  nay,"  said  Acton,  "  Rob  has  the  right  of  it. 
We  need  have  no  fear  of  interruption  now.  We 
can  —  " 

"  Master  Holt,  turn  out  the  light,"  cried  I  sharply, 
"  then  they  cannot  see."  Out  went  the  light  instantly. 
Outside  every  noise  ceased  as  if  by  magic. 

"  Well,  how  shall  we  talk  ?  "  muttered  I,  for  it  seemed 
the  last  straw  —  this  untimely  attack. 

"  Hold  thy  tongue,  man,  and  I  '11  show  thee,"  said 
Curtis.  "  Holt,"  he  continued,  "  and  you,  sirs,  come 
over  this  way.  So,  now  landlord,  you  are  attacked, 
I  see." 

"  Attacked  ?  My  God,  I  'm  ruined.  I  'm  a  dead 
man  —  " 

"  That  you  will  be,  if  you  do  not  act." 

"But  what  can  I  do?" 

"  Have  you  guns  ?  " 

"  Aye,  three." 

"  Very  well ;  do  you,  your  wife  and  this  remaining 
soldier  with  the  boy  go  upstairs  with  two  of  the  guns 
and  fire  down  on  these  men  from  above." 

"  We  can  fire  through  the  old  loop-holes,"  said  his 
wife. 

"  Good,  so  much  the  better.  These  two  men  and 
myself  will  take  the  ground  floor  front  and  kill  any 
one  who  tries  to  enter.  The  two  gentlemen  who  have 
just  eaten  with  us  will  guard  the  rear  of  the  house." 

"But  I  —  " 

A  crash  now  sounded  in  the  hall. 

"  The  door !  the  door ! "  cried  the  landlord  and  his 
wife  in  one  voice. 


156    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  You  see,  there  is  no  time  to  lose,"  said  the  cold, 
clear  voice  of  Curtis.  Indeed,  the  coolness  of  the  man 
and  the  reason  in  all  he  said  made  us  instinctively  put 
ourselves  under  his  command,  and  in  a  few  moments 
the  two  strangers  were  in  the  kitchen,  watching  the  rear 
door,  the  tavern-keeper  and  his  wife  with  the  boy  and 
the  soldier  were  upstairs;  and  we  three  were  barri 
cading  the  weakened  door  by  a  device  of  Curtis's, 
which  consisted  of  a  huge  table  wedged  between  the 
door  and  a  projection  of  the  chimney  that  went  up 
on  one  side  of  the  narrow  hall. 

"  Now,  my  friends,"  said  Curtis  coolly,  in  his  natural 
voice,  when  the  door  was  strengthened,  "  let  us  sit 
here  between  the  hall  and  the  main  room  and  hear  what 
Balfort  has  to  say." 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE   EPISODE  OF   HOLT'S   TAVERN    (continued) 

BUT  it  is  very  uncertain  if  we  can  get  out  of 
here  alive,"  said  I,  irritated  in  some  way  by 
this  excessive  calmness  of  Curtis  and  the 
jovial  ease  of  Mr.  John  Acton. 

"  My  dear  lad,"  said  Curtis,  "  you  asked  for  a  place 
where  we  could  talk  without  fear  of  interruption.  I 
give  you  one.  I  can  do  no  more.  Doubtless  this  is 
a  band  of  Skinners  of  not  more  than  six  or  seven, 
and  could  not  we  three  hold  this  house  against 
twenty?" 

"  Then,  look  you,  Balfort,"  urged  Acton,  "  we  shall 
have  the  satisfaction  of  knocking  some  one  on  the 
head.  I  owe  these  fellows  a  debt.  Nay,  't  is  a  stroke 
of  luck  they  are  come." 

At  this  moment  the  report  of  a  musket  rang  out 
overhead,  and  a  heavy  weight  fell  against  the  outside 
of  the  door  near  which  we  sat.  A  deep  groan  was 
followed  by  a  moment  of  silence. 

"  Aha !  you  skunk,"  cried  a  voice  from  the  hall 
above,  "  that  for  the  shot  you  gave  my  brother."  The 
voice  was  scarcely  stilled  when  a  fusillade  sounded 
from  across  the  road  and  several  bullets  struck  the 
stout  oak  of  the  door. 


158    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  Seven,"  muttered  I  to  myself. 

"Seven  what?"  asked  Acton. 

"  There  are  eight  in  that  party  and  one  is  dead. 
You  are  right,  Curtis,  't  is  indeed  better  than  I  thought. 
We  can  handle  seven.  I  feared  there  were  more." 

"  Stay,  but  I  do  not  see  —  " 

"  My  dear  John,"  laughed  Curtis,  "  mayhap  you 
did  not  notice  that  seven  bullets  pelted  the  house  but 
now." 

"  First  of  all,"  said  I,  checking  some  other  remark 
of  Acton's,  "  before  I  give  you  my  work  —  did  you 
notice  the  two  men  who  ate  at  our  table  ?  " 

"  Oh,  aye,  they  were  natives,  sure  enough." 

"  Right,  lad,  but  they  hail  from  New  York,"  said 
Curtis  slowly. 

"From  New  York?"  cried  Acton. 

"  Precisely,"  said  I.  "  But  they  have  just  now  come 
from  Boston  or  near  there." 

"  Balfort,  my  friend,  you  are  better  than  I,"  said 
Curtis,  smiling  in  the  darkness ;  "  how  know  you 
that?" 

"  Their  boots  and  clothes  are  covered  with  mud. 
It  has  not  rained  to  the  westward  in  ten  days.  They 
have  come  from  the  east,  therefore,  where  I  hear  it 
has  rained  for  several  days." 

"  Man,  you  are  a  genius !  "  cried  Acton. 

"  Furthermore,"  said  I,  "  the  mud  is  light  in  colour 
and  sandy,  whereas  hereabouts  't  is  red  and  dirty. 
'T  is  sandy  only  near  the  seacoast." 

"  How  do  you  know  they  hail  from  New  York  ?  " 
persisted  Acton. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    159 

"S-s-st,"  whispered  Curtis.  All  three  sat  in  the 
darkness.  Nothing  could  be  heard  for  a  moment  and 
then  the  unmistakable  crackling  of  a  twig  sounded 
through  the  window  of  the  main  room.  Curtis  crept 
towards  the  window  with  pistol  in  hand.  There  was 
a  bit  of  opening  where  the  table  failed  to  cover  the 
window,  and,  placing  his  eye  to  this,  he  saw  the  dim 
outline  of  a  figure  crawling  around  the  corner  of  the 
house.  Softly,  coolly,  he  put  the  pistol  to  the  open 
ing,  took  a  slow  aim  and  fired,  dropping  immediately 
to  the  floor  himself.  There  was  no  sound  or  move 
ment  in  the  grass,  but  the  next  instant  a  bullet  came 
diagonally  through  the  small  opening  and  flattened 
itself  against  the  doorpost  above  my  head. 

"  Did  you  get  him  ?  "  asked  John. 

"  The  attacking  party  now  consists  of  six,"  replied 
Curtis. 

"  And  now  as  to  our  instructions,"  said  Acton. 

"  We  are  to  go  to  New  York  to  accomplish  three 
things,  which  I  may  not  tell  you  till  we  be  there." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Acton,  "  we  are  to  go  to  New 
York;  that  is  sufficient.  What  next?" 

"  We  go  separately  and  meet  there.  That  is,  one 
goes  alone  and  the  other  two  together.  I  have  passes 
for  one  and  for  two  travelling  in  company.  Once 
there,  I  can  tell  you  in  good  earnest  there  is  much  to 
do.  But  here  looms  up  the  question  as  to  where  we 
shall  meet  there  and  be  unobserved." 

"  I  have  been  in  the  town,"  said  Acton,  promptly. 
"  Let  us  meet  at  the  village  of  Greenwich  and  go  into 
the  town  together." 


160    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   v 

"  So  far  good,"  said  I,  "  but  we  must  have  some 
base  to  work  from,  —  some  spot  to  meet  in.  Curtis, 
what  think  you  ?  " 

For  a  moment  during  this  bit  of  discussion  Curtis 
had  said  not  a  word.  Now,  though  I  could  not  see 
his  face,  for  the  darkness,  I  got  an  instinctive  idea 
that  something  was  wrong.  In  fact,  after  once  seeing 
Acton  pulled  up  when  he  tried  to  question  his  friend 
about  something  to  do  with  an  event  of  several  years 
ago,  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  steer  clear  of  any 
references,  so  far  as  Rob  Curtis  was  concerned,  be 
yond  the  limits  of  camp  life.  Before  I  spoke,  't  was 
clear  to  me  that  something  was  amiss.  The  moment 
he  answered  the  change  in  his  voice  was  so  great, 
yet  so  quiet,  that  I  started,  as  did  Acton,  almost  per 
suaded  that  some  other  sat  by  us  in  the  gloomy  smok 
ing  hall. 

"  Balfort,"  said  he,  slowly,  "  is  it  of  grave  import 
ance  that  we  should  go  into  New  York  ?  " 

I  did  not  reply  at  once.  I  was  too  struck  with  the 
change  and  all  that  such  a  change  must  mean  in  such 
a  man. 

"  You  shall  judge  for  yourself.  I  am  commis 
sioned,"  and  I  leaned  over  close  to  the  other  two, 
"  I  am  commissioned  by  General  Washington  himself 
alone.  No  other  knows  aught  of  the  thing  but  you 
two.  'T  is  not  even  to  be  written  down.  I  am  to  go 
to  New  York  to  do  three  things,  one  is  no  more  than 
a  piece  of  daring;  the  other  two  are  of  the  gravest 
importance.  One,  if  accomplished,  may  save  hun 
dreds —  thousands  of  lives." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    161 

"  And  these  you  may  not  tell  to  us  ?  "  asked  Curtis, 
still  in  that  low  voice. 

"  No,  friend,  not  till  we  are  on  the  ground." 

"  *T  is  better  so,"  said  the  same  deep,  sonorous 
voice  so  unlike  his.  "  We  can  be  of  no  use  to  them 
as  prisoners." 

"  These  commissions  are  not  for  one  man  to  carry 
out.  I  therefore  asked  for  you  two  and  obtained  your 
release." 

"  And  you  did  well,"  said  Curtis. 

"  Well,  well,  Rob,  did  I  not  say  as  much  ten  minutes 
gone  ?  "  cried  Acton,  impatiently.  "  There  stands  no 
doubt  or  question ;  but  where  are  we  to  meet  ?  " 

"  Where  in  the  town  must  we  go  ?  "  asked  Curtis, 
still  pursuing  his  own  course. 

"  All  over  the  town,  but  especially  at  No.  3  Broad 
way." 

There  were  two  shots  overhead  at  this  moment, 
and  it  may  have  been  for  this  reason  that  Curtis 
started  so  suddenly.  He  made  no  reply  at  once,  but 
when  he  did  he  said: 

"  Impress  this  on  your  memory  —  No.  2  Broadway." 

"  No.  2  Broadway,"  said  we  together. 

"  Well,  we  are  to  meet  there." 

"  You  know  the  place  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes." 

"  You  know  New  York,  then  ?  "  said  I,  incautiously. 

"  My  friend,"  said  Curtis,  "  a  moment  ago  you  asked 
us  to  accompany  you  to  New  York  to  help  you  at  the 
risk  of  our  lives,  and  told  us  we  were  not  to  know  the 


ii 


162    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

"  And,  my  dear  friend,"  said  I,  "  neither  Acton  nor 
I  will  ask  why  or  how  you  can  help  us." 

"  No.  2,  Broadway,  then,  let  it  be.  Now  as  to 
getting  there  —  but  I  think  something  is  happening 
in  the  next  room." 

As  Curtis  spoke,  a  shot  had  been  fired  from  the 
kitchen,  and  now  came  another  report  from  outside, 
and  with  it  a  long,  low  cry  from  the  house.  Almost 
immediately  some  one  yelled  "  Fire !  fire !  "  and  ran 
into  the  hall.  We  stood  an  instant,  and  then,  happen 
ing  to  be  nearest,  I  ran  through  the  tap-room  and 
thrust  open  the  kitchen  door.  A  bright  light  shining 
in  the  room,  I  had  started  towards  the  fire  when  I 
was  checked  by  the  cry  of  a  man  immediately  in  front 
of  me.  Another  step,  and  I  had  fallen  over  him. 

"  Here,  John !  "  cried  the  wounded  man,  "  I  'm  hit 
bad.  John,  I  cannot  see  you.  Take  the  papers  and 
get  out  of  here.  They  must  be  delivered!  Where 
are  you  ?  "  cried  the  man  again,  for  the  other  had  run 
into  the  next  room  in  search  of  water  for  the  fire. 
"  The  papers,  John,"  cried  the  dying  man  again,  "  in 
the  back  —  part  —  of  my  —  shirt.  Clinton  must  have 
them  —  to-morrow.  Take  'em  —  sure  —  I  —  "  He 
had  tried  to  sit  up,  but  now  fell  over  into  my  arms. 

I  took  a  belt  knife  and  ripped  up  the  back  of  the 
man's  coat,  tearing  off  the  greater  part  of  the  gar 
ment  to  make  a  wad  for  his  head.  'T  was  scarcely 
done  when  the  other  came  back  to  the  room,  now 
brightly  lighted  by  the  burning  of  the  window-sash, 
and  he  and  Curtis  and  Acton  ripped  off  the  boards 
of  the  window.  A  shot  or  two  came  into  the  room, 


V    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    v    163 

but  each  man  looked  to  it  that  he  was  not  in  range. 
Then  of  a  sudden  the  stranger  turned  towards  his 
companion  and  caught  my  eye  as  I  bent  over  him. 

"  He  is  quite  dead,"  said  I,  as  the  other  approached ; 
"  shot  through  the  head." 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  he,  quickly,  and,  pushing  me 
aside,  he  began  feeling  of  the  man,  going  through 
each  and  every  one  of  his  pockets,  muttering  the 
while  to  himself. 

"  The  fire,  man !  "  cried  I.  "  Let  him  be  now ;  he 
is  better  off  than  we."  Then  the  tavern-keeper  ap 
peared,  bringing  water-pails,  and  the  stranger  took 
one. 

"  Holt !  "  said  Curtis ;  "  stay  here  and  we  will  re 
turn  to  the  front  of  the  house.  'T  is  two  to  one  they 
take  this  opportunity  to  attack  there."  And  so  we 
started  for  the  front  again. 

And  as  we  did  so  there  came  another  crack  and  the 
moonlight  shot  in  through  a  fracture  in  the  big  oak 
door.  A  man's  head  appeared,  and  Acton,  grasping 
a  chair,  held  it  in  front  of  him,  and,  leaping  on  the 
table,  rammed  it  against  the  head,  forcing  the  man 
back  with  a  roar  of  pain.  Then,  standing  still  on  the 
table  but  not  in  front  of  the  hole,  Acton  began  to  con 
verse  with  the  unknown  outside. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,"  said  he  gaily,  "  the  first  head 
that  shows  itself  will  get  scalped." 

"  Surrender !  "  cried  two  or  three  gruff  voices. 

"  Ready,  ready,  step  up,  gentlemen !  one  at  a  time, 
to  be  scalped !  "  cried  the  imperturbable  Acton. 

"  Surrender,  you  there,  and  we  '11  give  you  quarter, 


164  »   NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —  » 

if  you  turn  the  house  over  to  us !  "  said  a  gruff  voice 
again. 

"  No  use  to  surrender,  my  dears,"  replied  Acton, 
"  because  the  house  is  already  turned  over  to  the 
flames.'* 

"  Then  we  '11  shoot  every  soul  of  you ! "  cried  an 
other  voice. 

"  Shoot  away,  but  do  stick  thy  addled  pate  through 
and  get  scalped !  " 

There  was  a  short  conference  outside  and  then  the 
Skinners  drew  out  of  ear  and  gun  shot. 

"  Now  to  finish  our  arrangements,"  said  Curtis, 
coolly. 

"Aye,  and  in  quick  order,  too,  for  the  house  is 
burning  down,"  and  in  truth  I  was  in  some  concern. 

"  Well,  we  meet  as  soon  as  possible  at  No.  2  Broad 
way,"  said  Acton. 

"  Just  so,"  replied  I.  "  Curtis,  you  know  New 
York?" 

"  I  do." 

"  Then  take  this  pass  and  come  to  No.  2  as  soon  as 
possible.  Acton  and  I  go  together." 

"  But  what  is  No.  2  ?  How  are  we  to  get  in  ?  " 
asked  Acton. 

"True,  that  is  important,"  said  I.  "What  shall 
we  say,  Curtis?" 

He  hesitated  a  moment.  In  the  meantime  we  could 
hear  the  crackling  of  the  flames  mingled  with  the  cries 
of  the  inmates  of  the  house.  Finally  he  said  slowly : 

"  You  will  find  an  old  woman  there." 

"  An  old  woman,"  we  repeated. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *    165 

"  Tell  her  you  have  come  to  meet  Robert." 

"  We  are  to  meet  Robert." 

"  And,  my  friends,  if  you  have  any  regard  for  me, 
question  her  not  at  all ;  but  do  as  you  say  —  wait  for 
me." 

Now  came  Madam  Holt  rushing  in,  crying  that  the 
house  was  falling  about  our  ears.  Behind  her  was 
her  crazed  husband. 

"  Holt,  you  say  you  have  money  here,"  said  Curtis. 

"  I  ?  I,  money  ?  no,  not  a  cent,  as  the  good  God 
knows !  "  screamed  the  frantic  man. 

"  Fear  not,  man !  Go  and  fetch  it  and  we  will  make 
a  sortie  and  charge  through  these  men.  There  be  but 
five  of  them  now." 

"  Oh,  my  house !  my  house !  I  'm  dead !  I  'm 
ruined !  "  cried  the  distracted  man,  clapping  his  hands 
to  his  head  as  he  hurried  away. 

"  One  word  more,"  said  Curtis.  "  That  man  who 
was  killed  in  the  other  room  is  one  of  the  two  we  sus 
pect.  Mayhap  he  carried  despatches." 

"  He  did,"  said  I. 

"  Then  we  may  and  must  get  them,"  said  Curtis. 

"  I  have  the  papers  here,"  and  I  held  them  up. 

"  Balfort,"  cried  Acton,  as  the  landlord  came  rush 
ing  again  into  the  now  lighted  room,  "  ye  are  cer 
tainly  a  great  man !  " 

"  And  now,"  continued  Curtis,  as  we  moved  toward 
the  door,  "  each  man  save  himself ;  Acton  with  you, 
and  I  alone;  and  we  meet  at  No.  2."  We  went  from 
the  main  room  into  the  hall  and  found  it  thick  with 
smoke.  All  were  there  however,  huddled  together, 


166    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

the  tavern-keeper,  his  wife,  the  boy,  the  soldier,  but 
the  surviving  messenger  was  gone.  And  then  sev 
eral  discharges  of  musketry  rang  out  in  the  night  air. 

"  'T  is  the  end  of  him  and  like  to  be  of  us  soon," 
said  the  soldier  grimly. 

"  End  of  whom  ?  "  asked  the  trembling  landlord. 

"  That  Yankee  that  was  with  the  man  that 's  dead 
in  there.  He  bolted  for  the  woods." 

"  Maybe  he  is  dead,  and  maybe  not,"  said  I.  "  Be 
that  as  it  may,  we  are  not  dead  yet.  Master  Holt, 
how  far  are  the  woods  from  the  rear  of  the  house  ?  " 

"  Not  a  hundred  yards,"  said  the  wife,  her  husband 
being  too  paralysed  with  fear  to  reply. 

"  Set  fire  to  the  chairs  in  the  front  room  to  attract 
the  Skinners  there.  Then  to  the  woods  and  the  vil 
lage  with  all  of  us !  " 

Another  discharge  of  musketry  sounded  on  the 
night  air  and  we  heard  a  cheer.  The  soldier  jumped 
to  the  front  door  and  gave  a  loud  whistle  by  placing 
his  finger  to  his  mouth.  There  was  a  reply  in  an  in 
stant,  and  at  the  same  time  a  rapid  scattering  fire  rang 
out  along  the  road. 

"  T  is  over,  friends !  "  cried  the  soldier.  "  Here  be 
the  troop  come  back  in  the  nick  of  time." 

"  Now  is  our  time,  then,"  said  I,  quietly,  to  Acton ; 
and  as  the  others  went  to  the  front  rooms,  we  bolted 
from  the  smoky  hall,  through  the  burning  kitchen,  to 
the  woods. 

Curtis  had  remained  behind. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

A  CASE   OF   MISTAKEN    IDENTITY 

IT  was  but  an  hour  after  sunrise,  clear  and  warm 
—  an  Indian  summer  morning,  if  ever  there  was 
one  —  when  we  turned  out  of  the  North  Castle 
road  into  the  main  highway  of  the  Hudson,  and,  as 
I  judged,  not  far  above  Tarrytown.  The  darkness, 
the  weariness  of  the  long  ride,  and  the  nervous  strain 
of  the  night  and  the  attack  on  the  tavern  had  kept  us 
both  silent  for  a  long  time.  Only  now  and  then  would 
Acton  come  out  with  some  joke,  or  laugh  at  the  tavern- 
keeper's  money  bag,  or  the  terrified  look  that  took  them 
all  when  we  got  the  news  of  the  coming  attack. 
Nothing  ever  seemed  —  nay,  nothing  has  ever,  to  my 
knowledge,  seemed  to  make  the  least  difference  in  this 
man's  peace  of  mind.  The  great  healthy  fellow  knew 
not  what  melancholy  or  weariness  meant.  But  I  was 
weighed  down  with  the  work  ahead  of  us,  the  memory 
—  now  always  with  me  —  of  that  one  face,  and  the 
weariness  of  my  sleepless  nights. 

With  the  bright  rising  sun,  however,  and  the  begin 
ning  of  as  beautiful  a  day  as  one  could  pray  for,  we 
brightened  up  a  bit.  Acton  spoke  up  after  a  space  of 
deep  thought  that  seemed  to  weigh  his  great  shoulders 
with  its  importance,  and  I  gathered  from  his  first  word 
the  drift  of  his  trouble.  Indeed,  the  thing  had  been  in 
my  mind  all  through  the  night. 


i68    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

"  How  think  you,  Balfort,  Rob  comes  to  know  so 
much  of  New  York  ?  " 

"  I  have  wondered  myself,  friend.  You  have  known 
him  well?" 

"  Aye,  for  two  long  years." 

'  'T  is  strange,  his  knowing  so  surely  a  house  in 
the  very  midst  of  British  headquarters,"  I  murmured, 
half  thinking  aloud. 

"  You  have  an  unworthy  thought  there,  my  friend," 
said  the  big  fellow  in  a  stiff  voice.  "  Is  not  Rob  going 
with  ye,  and  no  questions  asked,  though  he  risk  his 
life?" 

"  Nay,  nay,  Acton.  T  is  not  suspicion  of  the  man. 
But  you  cannot  guess  the  importance  of  the  mis 
sion.  Suppose  —  suppose  we  should  miscarry  for  any 
reason !  " 

The  lad  pulled  his  horse  up  in  the  middle  of  the 
road,  and  looking  at  me  with  a  flashing  eye  said: 

"  Balfort,  Rob  Curtis  is  my  tried  friend.  No  such 
thing  may  be  said  of  him  to  me.  So  that  I  can  leave 
you  and  return  to  him." 

"  Tut !  tut !  man,"  cried  I.  "  You  're  wrong.  I  do 
not  suspect  him.  I  am  but  struck  with  this  extraor 
dinary  thing  that  I  do  not  understand." 

"  And  did  he  question  you  ?  " 

'Twas  well  hit  home. 

"I  do  not  comprehend  it  myself,  but  I  know  my 
friend  and  that  is  enough,"  he  went  on,  moving  along 
again,  but  none  too  graciously.  I  had  hurt  the  honest 
soul. 

"  Enough  for  me,  too,"  said  I  —  and  then  my  hand 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    169 

flew  to  my  head,  for  on  the  instant  my  hat  flew  off, 
and  there  rang  out  the  ping  of  a  rifle. 

"  Ho,  ho !  "  roared  Acton.  "  Here  he  is !  Here  in 
the  woods !  "  and  he  turned  his  horse  to  ride  up  the 
bank  into  the  underbrush. 

"  Stop,  you  fool !  "  cried  I.  "  Down !  down  in  the 
saddle  and  ride !  " 

"  But  I  must  find  this  —  " 

"  Ride,  ride !  "  I  cried,  again.  "  There  's  no  time 
for  delay  now !  " 

Another  shot  passed  us  without  harm,  as  I  got  my 
horse  to  a  run,  and  Acton  came  after  more  slowly, 
sitting  bolt  upright  in  the  saddle,  while  he  growled  out 
his  disgust  at  this  cowardly  retreat.  Yet  could  we 
hear  the  clatter  of  hoofs  behind;  and  turning,  I  saw 
half  a  dozen  men,  suddenly  appearing  on  the  road, 
and  coming  after. 

"  Our  horses  are  done  up.  They  will  overtake  us 
in  a  mile,"  I  said,  thinking  aloud. 

"  So !  so !  "  jeered  the  man.  "  We  will  take  two 
as  they  come  on,  ride  two  more  down  by  force  and  that 
leaves  but  one  apiece  to  finish  the  game.  'T  is  too 
simple." 

'  'T  is.no  such  thing,"  cried  I,  nervously,  as  we  sped 
along.  "  \Ve  cannot  risk  delay.  Spur  on,  lad !  spur 
on !  "  for  a  shot  sped  over  our  heads.  "  They  are 
in  range  now,"  and  I  turned  to  take  a  look  at  them. 
And  then  I  called  out  suddenly. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  too,  in  the  saddle. 

"  Look  at  the  first  man,  look,  John !  " 

"  Damnation !  "  said  he.     "  Curtis's  man !  " 


170   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   V 

"Aye!  aye!"  said  I,  "Captain  Hazeltine,  as  I'm 
a  sinner.  The  man  is  the  devil  himself !  " 

I  thought  for  a  moment  my  companion  would  then 
and  there  pull  up,  but  I,  begging  him  for  the  work 
we  had  to  do  to  ride  on,  he  did  so ;  and,  abruptly  turn 
ing  a  bend  in  the  road,  we  saw  there  two  hundred  yards 
ahead,  a  platoon  of  redcoats  presenting  arms.  We  had 
reached  the  British  outposts  above  Tarrytown. 

"  My !  my !  "  said  Acton  in  his  sarcastic  raillery, 
"here  is  a  sandwich  that  will  be  hard  on  the  diges 
tion!" 

But  there  came  then  into  my  head  an  idea,  and  we 
sped  on  directly  into  them,  waving  our  hands  back 
wards  as  the  six  pursuers  turned  the  bend. 

"  Get  them  all !  "  I  cried  in  a  tone  of  command,  as 
the  sergeant  in  charge  ordered  his  men  to  prepare  to 
fire,  bewildered  though  he  was  at  our  sudden  appear 
ance.  Yet,  seeing  two  men  rushing  confidently  into  his 
arms,  pursued  by  six  others,  he  naturally  enough,  and 
as  I  had  hoped,  took  the  pursuers  for  the  enemy. 

A  sharp  volley  rang  out  as  the  six  came  on  without 
checking,  and  the  result  was  extraordinary.  The  lead 
ing  horse  leaped  into  the  air,  fell  heavily  forward, 
turning  a  complete  somersault,  and  threw  his  rider 
head  foremost  into  the  road,  where  he  lay  still.  One 
of  the  five  fell  heavily  from  his  horse,  and  the  others 
wheeled  as  if  at  drill  and  rushed  back  around  the  bend, 
evidently  having  had  enough  of  their  view  of  the  post. 

Turning  to  the  sergeant,  I  said : 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  timely  assistance.  Those 
cowboys  would  have  made  short  work  of  us." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    171 

"  There  be  many  of  them  hereabouts,"  said  he, 
politely,  though  he  still  had  a  bewildered  look  in  his 
face. 

"  We  were  coming  down  from  the  eastward  and 
found  these  men  in  ambush,"  I  continued,  without 
giving  him  time  to  think  overmuch,  "  and  —  " 

"  And  the  big  chap  let  out  at  us.  He  's  a  spy  of 
some  kind,  I  know  —  "  the  stupid  Acton  began,  but 
to  cut  his  dangerous  talk  short  I  interrupted: 

"  Doubtless  you  would  know  who  we  are,"  as  some 
of  the  soldiers  proceeded  to  pick  up  the  two  fallen  men. 

"  'T  will  be  necessary.  Will  ye  come  to  the  lieu 
tenant?" 

In  an  old  house  by  the  road  that  had  been  taken  for 
a  guard-house,  we  found  the  lieutenant  commanding. 
I  began  on  him  at  once : 

"  My  name  is  Hazeltine,  sir,  and  I  am  on  my  way 
to  New  York  with  despatches  for  Sir  Henry  Clinton. 
My  companion  here  is  included  in  these  passes,"  and  I 
handed  him  Washington's  priceless  gift.  He  had  but 
begun  to  glance  over  this  when  the  door  opened  and 
Hazeltine  himself  entered.  His  face  was  a  mass  of 
blood  and  dirt,  but  beneath  this  you  could  see  the 
features  working  with  a  well-nigh  ungovernable  pas 
sion.  He  threw  off  the  sergeant  without  an  effort  and 
strode  directly  up  to  the  officer. 

"You  are  a  new  officer  here,  sir.  Otherwise  you 
would  know  me." 

Acton  began  to  prepare  himself  for  anything  that 
might  happen.  I  stood  where  I  was,  trying  to  appear 
only  annoyed  at  this  interruption.  The  officer,  on  his 


172   v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

part,  instead  of  replying,  turned  to  his  sergeant  and 
blurted  out: 

"  Why  do  ye  admit  this  man  here  ?  " 

"  Lord,  sir,  he  came  of  his  own  accord,  sir,"  an 
swered  the  man. 

"  Well,  have  we  not  force  enough  here  to  put  one 
man  under  guard  ?  Take  him  away !  " 

"  Lieutenant,  you  will  regret  any  such  action,"  cried 
Hazeltine,  angrily. 

"  Why,  you  outlaw,  do  you  expect  to  impose  on 
me?" 

"  I  tell  you,  sir,  Sir  Henry  Clinton  will  not  appreciate 
such  summary  measures.  I  come  here  to  tell  you  my 
name  is  Hazeltine,  and  I  say  to  you  *  rebellious  war ' ! 
—  aha,  you  will  give  attention  now,  eh  ?  " 

The  lieutenant  started  perceptibly  twice  during  these 
hastily  spoken  words,  once  at  the  name  of  Hazeltine 
and  once  at  the  words  "  rebellious  war." 

'T  was  high  time  something  was  said,  and  so  I  took 
the  cue: 

"  I  know  this  man,  lieutenant,  and  you  will  do  well 
to  hold  him.  He  is  an  American  spy  in  disguise.  I 
nearly  caught  him  a  few  days  ago  at  Gowan's  Tavern 
just  above  here  in  the  neutral  country." 

"  You  lie,  you  dog !  You  lie !  "  cried  the  other.  "  7 
know  you  now,  too.  You  are  the  rebel  I  am  after,  and 
so  is  this  fellow  here.  You —  What  have  you  done 
with  —  " 

"  Silence ! "  cried  the  lieutenant,  "  and  leave  the 
questions  to  me !  Now,  sir,"  he  continued,  turning  to 
me,  "proceed." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    173 

"  I  tell  you  that  my  name  is  Hazeltine  and  that  —  " 

"  He  lies !  he  lies !  That  is  my  name !  "  cried  the 
man. 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders  as  quietly  as  might  be,  and 
looked  at  the  lieutenant.  Acton  began  to  laugh.  He 
was  beginning  to  comprehend.  The  lieutenant  was 
fast  losing  all  comprehension. 

"  Will  ye  be  quiet !  "  roared  he  at  the  stranger. 
Receiving  no  answer  he  turned  again  to  me. 

"Now,  sir!" 

"  I  repeat,  my  name  is  Hazeltine,  and  if  you  will  give 
me  a  few  moments'  private  conversation,  I  will  prove 
it.  I  may  not  expose  important  matters  here." 

"  You  will  answer  here,  sir,  what  questions  are  put 
to  you !  "  cried  the  lieutenant,  fast  losing  his  senses. 
"  Now,  then,"  he  continued,  sitting  down  to  the  table, 
and  beginning  to  wrrite,  "  your  name?  " 

"  Paul  Hazeltine." 

A  movement  on  the  part  of  the  blood-bespattered 
man  drew  a  corresponding  movement  from  the  lieu 
tenant,  and  I  put  my  hand  to  my  hip.  Of  a  surety  the 
situation  looked  critical.  Acton  alone  appeared  calm, 
and  a  smile  gradually  spread  over  his  great  face. 
There  was  the  prospect  of  a  fracas,  and  therefore  of 
amusement.  Consequently  he  was  the  coolest  of  the 
party. 

"Your  business  here  \vithin  the  lines?"  continued 
the  lieutenant. 

"  Special  emissary  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  If  you 
will  allow  me  a  few  moments'  private  conversation  —  " 

"  I  will  allow  ye  naught,  sir,  but  the  guard-house, 


174    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

if  ye  do  not  reply  at  once,"  cried  the  bewildered 
officer. 

"  Here  is  my  pass,"  said  I,  handing  him  Washing 
ton's  slip.  Then,  as  for  an  instant  there  was  silence, 
the  door  again  opened  and  two  soldiers  brought  in  the 
other  man,  who  had  been  wounded  in  the  head  in  his 
fall  from  his  horse.  Acton  touched  me  quietly,  and 
turning  I  saw  't  was  the  man  who  had  escaped  from 
Holt's  Tavern  the  night  before,  and  who  had  failed 
to  find  the  despatches  on  his  friend's  body  before  he 
left.  His  head  was  bandaged,  but  he  was  not  to  be 
mistaken. 

"  Who  the  hell  is  this  one?  "  cried  the  lieutenant. 

The  sergeant  touched  his  hat  and  replied: 

"  The  other  Skinner,  sir,  hit  in  the  head,  sir.  He 's 
out  of  the  game,  I  'm  thinking."  Lieutenant  Majori- 
banks  bent  over  him  and  at  that  moment  the  man 
opened  his  eyes  and  struggled  to  a  sitting  position. 
I  have  never  become  accustomed  to  death,  much  of  the 
grim  customer  as  I  have  seen,  and  the  struggles  of  this 
poor  fellow  to  say  something  that  was  on  his  mind 
were  pitiful. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  the  lieutenant,  leaning  over 
him,  the  anger  gone  out  of  his  face  and  voice :  "  try 
again,  my  man !  " 

We  all  instinctively  kept  silence  in  the  sight  of  the 
fast  approaching  end,  and  I  heard  the  one  word  "  de 
spatches  "  as  he  pointed  at  me.  'T  was  a  close  hit, 
but  by  the  grace  of  a  chance  thought  I  found  Hazel- 
tine  in  line  with  me  and  just  behind,  and  turned  and 
looked  at  him. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    175 

"  Despatches,"  repeated  the  poor  fellow.  "  That  — 
man  —  my  —  despatches !  "  And  over  he  went  with 
a  thump  of  his  head  against  the  floor  as  dead  as  was 
ever  any  man. 

The  officer  rose  in  a  moment  and  turned  to  us.  See 
ing  me  look  at  Hazeltine,  he  said : 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?     You  have  despatches  ?  " 

"  Not  I,"  said  Hazeltine,  his  manner  changing  a 
shade  as  he  spoke.  I  held  my  peace  for  a  moment,  for 
the  eyes  of  the  officer  showed  that  the  mistaken  iden 
tity  was  working  into  his  head,  and  I  have  ever  found 
that  a  bit  of  silence  at  certain  moments  will  say  more 
than  years  of  wordy  converse. 

"  Not  I,"  repeated  Hazeltine.  "  He  pointed  to  this 
man  here.  I  know  him  well.  He  —  " 

"  Sergeant,"  ordered  the  officer,  "  take  this  man 
into  custody.  Search  him  and  bring  all  papers  found 
on  him  to  me !  " 

Again  Hazeltine  controlled  his  temper  by  a  great 
effort.  Indeed,  the  man's  mind  was  working  fast,  and 
I  knew  from  what  the  Commander-in-Chief  had  told 
me  that  he  had  a  brain  of  great  power. 

"  Lieutenant,"  he  said  between  his  teeth,  "  't  is  as 
good  as  the  loss  of  your  commission  to  touch  me. 
Will  you  do  it,  or  will  you  give  me  fifteen  minutes  ?  " 

The  officer  looked  at  him  a  moment  with  a  deep 
frown  on  his  face,  and  then  turned  about  and  cried : 

"Well,  sergeant,  do  I  give  you  orders  twice?" 

It  was  quite  enough.  Hazeltine  was  down  in  an 
instant,  struggle  as  he  might,  and  bound  hand  and  foot. 
He  looked  at  me  with  as  evil  a  colour  in  his  red  eye 


176    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   v 

as  one  might  call  up  in  a  bad  dream,  but  said  not  a 
word;  and  then  out  came  from  his  coat  a  package  of 
papers.  The  lieutenant  looked  them  over. 

"  Take  him  away  to  the  guard-house  and  bring  me 
anything  else  you  find,"  he  ordered;  and  they  carried 
the  man  out,  still  with  his  red  eye  on  me  till  the  door 
closed  behind  them.  And  thus  I  knew  that  until  one 
of  us  should  be  dead  that  man  Hazeltine  was  my 
enemy,  king  or  no  king,  war  or  no  war,  and  't  is  not 
in  me  to  deny  that  it  was  an  ugly  sword  to  hang  over 
one  by  day  and  night. 

I  do  not  mind  a  fair  fight  in  the  light  of  day,  but 
God  defend  me  from  the  vicious  hatred  of  a  fiend  such 
as  this  man  showed  himself  to  be  in  that  one  look.  The 
courtesy  with  which  the  officer  of  the  post  conferred 
with  me  about  the  papers,  after  I  had  shown  him  at 
his  order  what  I  carried,  and  the  kindness  with  which 
he  then  sped  us  on  our  way  with  fresh  horses,  re 
questing  me  to  take  Hazeltine's  despatches  with  me, 
did  not  carry  off  the  cold  feeling  that  had  settled  some 
where  in  the  pit  of  my  stomach  at  the  man's  look. 

However,  we  were  in  well  guarded  territory  now, 
and  passed  post  after  post  on  our  ride  into  the  city. 
At  Greenwich  we  stopped  a  moment  for  the  last  out 
post  examination,  and  then  rode  on  down  by  the 
water's  side  through  a  muddy  road  over  the  creek 
and  into  the  town. 

'T  was  a  dusky,  foggy  night  with  signs  of  rain  and 
a  high  wind  that  sent  darkness  and  light  over  the 
slimy  street  in  quick  succession  as  the  clouds  swept 
by  the  moon.  I  had  little  time  to  notice  much,  but  at 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    177 

the  top  of  the  town  we  passed  on  the  left  a  long  row 
of  buildings  that  I  knew  must  be  the  great  barracks. 

Further  on  were  the  ruins  of  a  beautiful  church  on 
the  right,  that  I  knew,  too,  must  be  Trinity  Church, 
burned  in  the  great  fire  a  few  years  before.  It  lay 
close  by  the  old  wall  of  the  town,  now  fallen  into  dis 
use,  and  we  met  many  people  groping  along  here  and 
there  in  the  mud  and  a  crowd  of  carriages  interspersed 
with  a  chariot  or  two.  Once  we  must  needs  wait  a 
few  moments  till  a  line  of  vehicles  could  move  on, 
and  one  o'f  the  chariots  brought  back  to  my  mind  a 
certain  wet  country  road  and  such  another  vehicle 
tilted  over  to  one  side  with  the  face  of  a  young  girl 
looking  out  of  its  windows  at  me. 

"What  the  devil  means  this  crowd?"  said  I. 

"  Crowd,  man !  "  said  Acton,  "  why,  do  you  not 
know  you  are  in  a  city,  my  friend?  And  that  just 
below  here  Clinton  holds  a  court  as  high  and  mighty 
as  George  the  Third  at  Windsor?  Where,  think  ye, 
are  ye,  then ;  in  camp  ?  " 

"  Then  we  are  near  No.  2  Broadway  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Aye,  here  we  are,"  he  answered  as  we  came  op 
posite  the  head  of  the  line  of  carriages,  which  were 
discharging  ladies  with  silken  gowns  and  powdered 
wigs  at  a  covered  bit  of  canvas  that  hung  over  the 
door  of  the  great  house.  The  place  was  lit  from  top 
to  bottom,  and  I  could  hear  fiddles  jigging  out  a  dance 
amidst  the  hum  of  a  hundred  voices,  jocose  greetings 
of  men,  and  yells  of  servants  in  livery  crying  out  to 
one  coachman  to  move  on  and  to  another  to  move  up. 
JT  was  a  bustling  and  brilliant  scene  out  there  in  the 

12 


i78    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   v 

dimly  lighted,  filthy  street.  For  no  light,  except  what 
came  from  a  lanthorn  here  and  there  over  a  door,  or 
escaped  from  the  great  house,  served  to  give  the  eye 
the  smallest  chance. 

"  Beyond  a  doubt  that  is  the  house,  and  he  holds 
court  this  very  night,"  said  Acton,  as  we  came  oppo 
site  the  entrance  with  the  line  of  carriages  between 
us  and  the  door.  'T  was  a  jam,  indeed,  and  before 
we  knew  it,  we  were  caught  between  two  lines  of 
cursing  coachmen,  one  driving  up  to  the  door,  the 
other  turning  and  moving  back. 

A  chariot  drew  up,  and  I  had  leaned  down  on  my 
horse's  neck  to  look  through  the  windows  up  the  steps 
and  into  the  house,  when  the  vicious  hiss  of  a  whip 
on  the  other  side  sent  my  beast,  that  was  none  of  the 
best,  by  a  side  jump  against  the  coach,  bringing  me 
up  to  the  door  with  a  thump  that  shook  the  whole 
vehicle.  And  then  I  had  like  to  have  fallen  into  the 
mud ;  for  there,  looking  at  me  out  of  the  window,  in 
some  white  and  silken  gown,  with  a  whiter  neck  peep 
ing  out  from  under  a  furry  cape,  was  a  face  I  had 
had  by  me  these  ten  days. 

She  knew  me  on  the  instant,  and  started  forward 
with  a  cry  of  surprise,  as  if  to  speak.  And  then,  on 
the  impulse,  the  powdered  head  went  up  with  a  move 
ment  I  knew  full  well,  and  the  stare  that  only  a  high 
bred  woman  knows  how  to  call  up  from  some  depth 
within  her  met  my  eye,  as  a  gruff  voice  behind  her 
cried : 

"  Have  a  care  there,  my  man !  What  the  devil, 
would  you  ride  in  here  by  us?  Come,  Deborah,  we 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    179 

are  at  the  door,"  and  I  was  pulled  on  by  the  fright 
ened  horse  and  reached  the  door  across  the  street,  I 
know  not  how,  in  a  daze  of  mind  that  finally  landed 
me  in  a  ditch  by  the  gutter,  as  I  slid  off  his  back. 

She  had  known  me,  I  would  swear;  and  yet  she 
had  given  me  as  cold  a  denial  as  ever  heartless  wench 
gave  any  man.  And  yet,  —  't  was  but  human  nature 
to  think  it,  —  yet  I  had  saved  more  than  her  life  but 
a  fortnight  ago,  and  risked  my  own  skin  in  the  sav 
ing.  But  what  should  I,  Merton  Balfort,  expect,  after 
all,  and  what  right  had  I  to  think  it  could  or  should 
be  otherwise? 

Still,  what  tricks  the  mind  will  play!  I  knew  then 
that  that  face  had  been  by  me  ever  since  the  night  at 
the  old  tavern,  and  in  my  foolish  thoughts  the  next 
meeting  had  happened  again  and  again;  but  the  re 
ality  was  of  a  far  different  order  from  the  dream. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

IN   WHICH   THE   SPECIAL   MESSENGER  OF   SIR    HENRY 
CLINTON    IS   FED 

AS  I  looked  about  me  to  gather  a  bit  of  the 
situation  of  the  house,  I  could  not  forbear 
an  exclamation ;  for,  dark  as  it  was,  I  could 
see  but  a  sorry  house  for  our  abode.  The  building 
was  a  straight  affair,  narrow  and  high,  with  a  pointed 
roof  like  a  Dutch  house,  and,  though  at  first  the  house 
appeared  to  be  complete,  I  saw  in  a  moment  that  it 
had  been  practically  destroyed  by  fire.  The  lower 
rooms  seemed  to  be  hastily  repaired,  but  the  upper 
windows  had  no  frames  or  glass  in  them,  and  the 
whole  was  blackened  with  singed  wood. 

Back  of  the  house  and  towards  the  water  I  could 
make  out  in  the  murky  darkness  the  black  ruins  of 
burned  dwellings,  and  here  and  there  tents  built  over 
roofless  rooms,  with  now  and  then  a  light  shining 
through  the  slits  in  the  cloth. 

Acton  was  standing  grumbling  to  himself  as  was 
his  wont. 

"  This  is  no  place  for  us,"  said  he ;  "  we  shall  be 
caught  in  a  hole  like  rats." 

"  The  longer  we  stand  here,  the  more  likely,"  I  an 
swered,  and  forthwith  rapped  upon  the  door  with  my 
sword-hilt.  No  reply  coming,  we  pushed  in  the  door, 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    181 

and,  it  giving  easily  to  our  weight,  we  entered  to  find 
a  long,  narrow  hall,  and  stairs  running  straight  up 
towards  the  next  story.  At  the  farther  end  a  light 
showed  beneath  a  door,  and  with  a  step  we  were  at 
it,  finding,  on  opening,  an  old  woman  confronting  us 
with  wonder  and  suspicion  in  her  silent  face. 

"  Who  be  ye,  then  ?  "  asked  she,  after  a  moment. 

"  Listen,  woman,"  said  I,  quickly,  "  speak  not  so 
loud.  We  come  here  from  Robert  —  from  Robert, 
you  understand,"  I  added,  as  I  saw  her  face  go  white 
and  eager,  "  and  we  are  to  wait  here  secretly  for 
him  —  " 

"Him?"  cried  she,  under  her  breath.  "You  will 
not  let  him  come  here  ?  He  must  not  now !  'T  would 
be  his  death !  How  came  ye  to  let  him  come  ?  " 

"  He  comes  of  his  own  accord,  and  sent  us  on  be 
fore,"  said  I.  "Do  not  fear  for  him !  He  can  watch 
over  his  own  safety  without  our  aid.  But  instead, 
give  us  food  and  drink,  if  you  have  it." 

She  looked  at  us  doubtfully  a  moment,  and  then 
went  into  the  back  room  which  appeared  to  be  the 
one  chamber  in  the  house  spared  by  the  fire.  In  a 
few  moments  we  sat  down  to  a  dish  of  salt  beef  and 
bread.  I  then  carefully  opened  the  despatches  found 
on  the  dead  man,  and  discovered  them  to  be  a  full 
account  of  the  forces  at  and  around  Newport,  detail 
ing  Rochambeau's  strength  and  the  number  of  militia 
troops  furnished  him  by  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut, 
and  Massachusetts,  though  to  my  certain  knowledge 
the  number  was  understated. 

Following  out  a  plan  I  had  thought  up,  I  altered 


182    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

the  figures  by  scratching  those  given  and  writing  in 
between  the  lines  more  than  three  times  the  number 
above,  as  had  already  been  done  in  one  or  two  cases. 
The  despatches  of  Hazeltine  were  letters  from  Major 
Andre  written  in  prison,  and  a  statement  giving  out 
that  Washington  was  about  to  make  an  attack  on 
Paulus  Hook  and  Staten  Island,  with  some  descrip 
tion  of  the  plan  of  attack.  Whether  this  were  true 
or  not,  I  could  not  tell,  but  I  must  take  my  chance. 
We  were  in  the  act  of  sealing  up  the  packets  again, 
when  there  came  a  thundering  pounding  on  the  outer 
door. 

"What  is  it?"  cried  the  woman. 

"  Open  in  the  name  of  the  king !  "  cried  a  voice 
from  the  outside. 

"  Oho !  "  said  Acton  under  his  moustache.  "  They 
call  upon  us  soon,  eh  ?  "  and  he  drew  his  sword  and 
stood  looking  at  me. 

"  Quick,  woman,"  I  said,  "  go  to  the  door,  and  do 
you  do  the  talking." 

"What  shall  I  say?" 

"  Ask  who  it  is  and  what 's  wanted." 

This  she  did,  we  standing  by  her  close  to  the  door. 

"  Open  in  the  name  of  the  king ! "  cried  the  deep 
voice  again,  "or  we  will  break  down  the  door !  " 

Acton  and  I  stood  back,  silent  in  the  darkness,  with 
a  stiff  problem  ahead  of  us,  for  there  was  no  mistak 
ing  the  voice  of  Hazeltine. 

"  Well,  will  you  open  ? "  cried  the  voice  a  third 
time,  and  then  I  bade  Acton,  more  by  signs  than  any 
thing  else,  stand  by  the  handle  of  the  door. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    183 

"  When  I  open,  catch  him  and  bring  him  in,"  I 
whispered,  "  and  put  in  all  the  strength  in  your  big 
body." 

He  nodded,  and  at  my  whispered  instruction  the 
woman  said  again : 

"  What  for?    Why  should  I  open?  " 

"  Because  I  have  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  a  man 
now  in  this  house." 

"  There  's  none  here,"  she  answered,  and  then,  as 
I  told  her,  cried  out :  "  The  door  sticks.  You  must 
push  from  the  outside." 

There  came  a  muffled  oath,  and  then  a  savage  kick 
at  the  door,  and  I  heard  other  voices. 

"  Harder,"  cried  the  old  woman,  who  seemed  to 
grasp  the  idea,  and  as  I  felt  a  body  press  against  the 
door,  I  let  it  swing  suddenly  open,  and  a  man  was 
driven  into  the  hall  and  the  door  shut  again  before 
he  realised  that  he  was  down  and  one  of  the  strong 
est  men  in  the  Colonies  sitting  on  him  with  his  fingers 
so  tight  upon  his  gullet  that  he  could  only  gurgle 
softly.  We  had  him  in  the  other  room  bound  and 
gagged  in  a  moment,  but  the  pounding  on  the  door 
was  enough  to  wake  the  town. 

"  Open  in  the  name  of  the  king !  "  cried  a  dozen 
voices,  and  then  the  old  door,  strong  as  it  had  been 
made,  gave  perceptibly  to  the  force  from  without.  I 
turned  to  the  woman. 

"  Is  there  a  back  way  out  ?  " 

"  Only  into  the  lane,  thence  to  Beaver  Street  in 
among  the  ruins;  but  ye  can  go  upstairs  and  down 
the  outside  steps  at  the  back." 


1 84    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

"  So  be  it,  and  quick,  too !  Acton,  pick  up  your 
man  and  come  on."  We  were  upstairs,  had  laid  him 
in  the  gable,  and  were  hurrying  down  to  the  second 
story  again,  when  a  crash  told  us  we  were  too  late, 
and  in  a  moment  the  hall  was  full  of  men.  They  saw 
us  at  the  top  of  the  stairs,  and  started  up. 

"  Now,  man,  let  them  have  it,"  I  cried,  and  we  both 
fired  at  the  leaders  as  they  came  up  two  steps  at  a 
time.  Two  men  threw  up  their  arms  and  fell  back 
on  the  others  and  the  whole  crew  rolled  back  to  the 
floor. 

"  Again,  Acton." 

"  Aye,  man,"  laughed  the  reckless  chap,  "  take  the 
first,  and  I  the  second.  So!  we  wasted  nothing." 
Four  men  lay  dead  on  the  stairs  before  the  others 
could  retreat.  But  our  four  pistols  were  of  no  fur 
ther  use. 

I  am  no  fool  to  lose  heart  in  a  tight  place,  but  the 
game  seemed  up  as  we  saw  them  gather  together  for 
another  charge. 

"  Yield  yourselves,  and  we  '11  do  ye  no  harm,"  cried 
one.  "  If  ye  do  not,  God  help  your  souls !  " 

"  Don't  bother  strangers  by  calling  on  'em,"  said 
Acton,  in  a  jeering  tone,  "  but  come  on,  my  lambs, 
and  take  us !  " 

A  growl  was  the  only  answer  as  they  started  up 
the  stairs  again.  We  had  the  slight  advantage  of 
light,  as  well  as  of  being  above,  and  as  the  first  two 
began  to  engage  Acton,  who  stood  at  the  top,  I 
knocked  the  nearest  over  with  the  butt  of  my  pistol, 
and  then,  leaning  out  from  the  crazy  balustrade,  be- 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    185 

gan  an  exchange  of  thrusts  with  the  next  two,  they 
fighting  straight  over  their  heads,  I  down  upon  them. 

They  stood  their  ground  well,  preventing  by  their 
own  bodies  any  others  from  taking  part,  until  another 
jeering  laugh  from  Acton  was  followed  by  the  bodies 
of  his  men  tumbling  back  upon  them,  tripping  the 
whole  crew  over  one  another  to  the  bottom,  amid 
cries  and  curses  that  would  have  raised  the  dead. 
The  howl  was  taken  up  by  those  in  the  hall  and  then 
to  our  consternation  a  loud  shout  of  many  voices  came 
from  the  street.  Running  to  the  sashless  window,  I 
saw  half  a  hundred  soldiers  crowded  around  the 
door. 

"  Back  again !  "  cried  Acton,  "  the  town  's  on  the 
way  upstairs !  "  and  in  truth  it  looked  so ;  for  they 
had  found  a  round  table,  and  holding  this  above  and 
before  them,  they  were  coming  slowly  up  two  abreast 
and  as  close  as  they  could  step. 

"  I  have  it,"  cried  Acton  —  the  man  seemed  always 
to  become  gay  in  a  fight  and  find  his  best  wits  at  the 
most  hopeless  time.  "  Quick,  man,  that  cupboard ! 
'T  will  make  cheese  of  the  whole  lot."  And  we  lifted 
a  great  double-doored  clothes-press  standing  in  the 
hall,  Acton,  the  woman,  and  I,  and  pushed  it  over  the 
stairs,  carrying  balustrade  and  all  with  it.  The  blow 
was  a  terrible  one,  for  the  weight  of  the  cupboard 
carried  the  table  dowrn  upon  the  eight  or  ten  men  and 
all  went  down  together,  amid  dust  and  cries  and  roars 
of  laughter  from  Acton  that  fairly  set  me  off  as  well. 

The  situation  was  changed  for  the  moment,  for  the 
brave  cupboard  had  jammed  itself  in  the  stairway 


i86    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

preventing  any  ascent  or  descent  by  that  passage  for 
some  good  minutes  to  come.  In  the  pause  that  fol 
lowed,  a  stifled  cry  from  the  old  woman  showed  us 
behind  the  spot  where  the  cupboard  had  stood  a 
frameless  window  looking  out  on  the  roof  of  the  next 
house.  Roof  there  was  none,  however,  —  only  black 
ened  timbers,  with  here  and  there  a  patch  of  shingles 
still  clinging  in  place. 

'T  was  a  chance,  and  we  took  it.  We  were  out  in  a 
moment,  clambering  over  the  creaking  timbers  and 
down  on  the  farther  side  into  a  lane,  no  wider  than 
a  man's  body,  between  two  buildings.  There  was  but 
one  way  to  go,  and  that  into  Broadway,  and  in  an 
other  moment  we  were  at  the  back  of  the  crowd  of 
two  or  three  hundred  people  standing  about  the  door 
of  the  fated  No.  2,  howling  and  yelling,  asking  ques 
tions  and  giving  opinions  to  one  another.  Manifestly 
this  was  the  safest  place  for  the  moment,  till  we  heard 
a  cry  of  joy  from  the  inside,  and  knew  that  the  leaders 
must  have  overcome  our  friendly  cupboard. 

"  Come,"  said  I  to  Acton,  and  led  him  across  the 
green  to  Clinton's  house,  easily  distinguishable  for  its 
many  lights  and  the  music  coming  from  it.  At  the 
door  we  were  challenged  by  a  sentry  and  asked  what 
was  our  business. 

"  Special  message  to  the  Commander-in-Chief.  I 
must  see  him  at  once,"  said  I,  looking  at  Acton  in 
fear  that  the  absolute  astonishment  sitting  on  his  face 
;would  end  the  matter  then  and  there. 

"  You  cannot  see  him  now,  man.     He  is  —  " 

"  ' J  is  a  dangerous  thing  to  waste  time,  my  friend, 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    187 

when  Sir  Henry  Clinton  is  concerned.  Call  his  secre 
tary  here  at  once/'  and  I  stood  aside  on  the  steps  to 
allow  some  late  arrivals  to  enter,  as  if  the  matter  were 
settled. 

"  But  you  '11  get  us  hanged,  man,"  whispered  Acton, 
"if  you  —  " 

"  Hold  thy  tongue,  man !  "  I  said  in  the  same  tone. 

"But  I  don't  see  —  " 

"  Well,  corporal,  are  you  not  gone  yet  ?  "  I  asked, 
angrily.  "  Do  you  know  that  your  head  will  drop  off, 
if  this  delay  gets  about  ?  " 

"  I  have  my  doubts,"  he  answered ;  "  but  I  '11  call 
Mr.  Cameron." 

Cameron,  then,  was  the  secretary,  and  he  came  in 
a  moment,  dressed  in  black  and  rubbing  his  thin  hands 
together. 

"  Air.  Cameron,"  I  said  before  he  could  speak,  "  I 
am  Mr.  Merton,  and  this  is  Mr.  Roberts.  We  have 
just  come  from  Newport  and  Verplancks  with  de 
spatches  for  Sir  Henry.  Will  you  notify  him  at 
once  ?  "  And  I  showed  him  the  despatches. 

He  looked  at  us  a  moment  through  his  narrow  little 
eyes,  and  finally  said: 

"  Come  this  way,  gentlemen,  if  you  please,"  and, 
going  around  the  side  of  the  house,  we  entered  by  a 
smaller  door  into  a  cross  corridor.  As  we  passed 
along,  I  saw  a  brilliant  series  of  rooms,  polished  floors, 
and  groups  of  uniformed  men  and  beautifully  dressed 
women  walking  up  and  down  the  hall  and  dancing  in 
the  large  ball-room.  Then  in  an  instant  we  stood  in 
a  dimly-lighted  room. 


i88    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

At  the  end  of  five  minutes  a  large  door  opened  on 
the  other  side  of  the  study  or  office,  and  a  bright  light 
from  one  of  the  ball-rooms  burst  in  upon  us.  A  large 
hand  held  the  door  for  an  instant,  and  my  body  stif 
fened  as  I  heard  a  lively  girlish  voice  I  knew  in  my 
dreams  now,  saying  half  angrily,  half  playfully: 

"  But,  Sir  Henry,  this  is  my  dance ! " 

"  My  dear  Mistress  Debby,  I  am  far  more  unhappy 
about  it  than  you  can  be,"  said  a  high,  somewhat 
querulous  masculine  voice. 

"  I  do  not  believe  it !  If  't  were  true,  you  would 
not  run  away  so." 

There  came  some  answer,  which  was  lost  to  us  in 
the  study;  for  at  that  moment  the  door  opened  wide, 
and  a  tall,  thick-set  man  entered,  and  closed  it  quickly 
behind  him.  He  stood  still  a  moment,  not  being  able 
to  distinguish  clearly  in  the  dark  room. 

Sir  Henry  Clinton  at  that  period  was  well  advanced 
in  years.  He  would  have  been  a  handsome  man  but 
for  his  eyes,  which  by  their  expression  gave  to  his 
face  a  sinister  look  that  became  more  marked  as  he 
spoke.  He  had  only  left  his  home  in  England  that 
he  might  win  fame  for  himself  in  a  few  short  months 
and  return  with  a  great  name  to  his  native  land.  His 
ill-success  against  the  American  army,  and  his  utter 
inability  to  cope  with  a  mind  like  my  Commander-in- 
Chief  s  had  increased  this  dissatisfied,  querulous,  com 
plaining  side  of  his  character,  and  he  had  now  become 
thoroughly  disgusted  with  the  whole  war.  Such  had 
been  the  gossip  of  this  commander  of  the  British  forces 
in  America  which  had  reached  the  ears  of  all  of  us 


f    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    189 

out  in  Connecticut.  Everywhere  his  troops  would 
win  battles  according  to  European  methods,  and  then 
be  forced  to  retreat,  losing  more  men  in  the  retreat 
than  the  Americans  had  in  the  fight.  This  was  any 
thing  but  encouraging;  and  the  general  showed  his 
chronic  pettishness  in  his  every  action.  He  showed 
it  now,  as  he  said  sharply: 

"  Well,  Cameron,  are  you  there  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency." 

"Well,  well,  man!  Speak  up!  T  is  doubtless 
something  of  importance  that  causes  you  to  call  me 
now!" 

"1  think  it  is,  your  Excellency.  Here  is  a  mes 
senger  from  Boston  and  Newport !  " 

"  Ah,  I  see  him  now.    Well,  sir,  what  is  it  ?  " 

I  handed  him  the  despatches  taken  from  the  dead 
soldier.  As  he  glanced  over  the  papers,  he  rang  a 
bell,  and  bade  the  orderly  who  appeared  to  search  out 
and  bring  to  him  Lord  Howe. 

"And,  orderly—  !"  he  added. 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency." 

"  Speak  to  the  general  cautiously,  and  bring  him 
away  without  attracting  attention." 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency." 

Nothing  further  was  said  until  Lord  Howe  appeared. 

Howe  had  been  superseded  in  the  command  of  the 
American  forces  of  the  British  army  by  Clinton,  and 
for  that  reason  alone  he  bore  the  present  commander 
no  very  good  will.  But,  beside  this,  he  knew  per 
fectly  well  that  he  was  the  abler  officer.  He  was  anx 
ious,  therefore,  to  be  recalled  to  England  to  avoid 


1 90    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

association  as  an  inferior  with  Clinton.  In  the  mean 
time,  anything  that  made  his  rival's  position  more 
difficult  only  gave  him  the  greater  satisfaction. 

"My  lord,"  said  Sir  Henry.     "Mr.  — " 

"  Merton,"  I  prompted. 

"  Mr.  Merton,  here,  has  just  arrived  with  news  that 
a  French  fleet  is  lying  in  Newport  Harbour  waiting 
to  co-operate  with  the  rebels !  " 

Lord  Howe  had  just  come  from  a  dance,  and  was 
very  warm.  He  wiped  his  forehead  and  then  replied 
calmly : 

"  'T  is  the  same  as  our  news  of  several  days  ago, 
Sir  Henry.  What  strength  have  they  ?  " 

I  stepped  forward  to  prevent  questions  coming  to 
me,  and  said: 

"  I  have  further  news !  " 

"  What,  still  more  ?  "  cried  Sir  Henry.  "  This  seems 
enough  for  one  night !  " 

"  Major  Andre  has  been  taken  to  Tappan  and  he 
is  to  be  tried  there  as  a  spy  immediately." 

"What  is  the  sentiment  as  to  the  result?"  asked 
Howe. 

"  That  he  will  be  hung,"  I  answered. 

"  Then  will  I  hang  every  solitary  American  in 
New  York,  whether  loyal  or  rebel !  "  cried  Sir  Henry, 
stamping  his  foot,  while  tears  of  vexation  came  into 
his  eyes.  "  Do  you  at  once  take  measures  —  " 

"  Pardon  me,  Sir  Henry,"  interrupted  Lord  Howe, 
coldly ;  "  will  you  permit  me  to  take  some  steps  in 
this  matter?" 

"  By  all  means.     I  wash  my  hands  of  it ! " 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *    191 

"  Mr.  Merton,"  said  Howe,  turning  to  me. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Remain  in  the  house  for  an  hour.  If  you  receive 
no  instructions  within  that  time,  call  here  at  eight 
o'clock  each  morning  until  you  do.  Is  that  correct, 
Sir  Henry?"  he  asked. 

Clinton  was  evidently  terribly  affected  by  the  news 
of  Andre's  sentence,  and  could  not  turn  his  mind 
to  anything  else.  He  said  with  an  effort: 

"  Mr.  Merton,  you  have  not  eaten,  probably.  Go 
in  and  join  the  ball  and  eat  to  your  satisfaction.  My 
lord,  I  am  too  stricken  with  grief  to  join  my  guests. 
Will  you  take  these  gentlemen  in  and  make  my 
excuses  ?  " 

Lord  Howe  turned,  and,  at  my  attempting  to 
apologise  because  of  our  costumes,  he  bade  Cameron 
have  us  brushed  up,  and  insisted  upon  my  putting 
on  a  coat  and  waistcoat  of  Sir  Henry's,  the  one 
faced  with  red,  the  other  of  white  satin.  Acton  was 
a  sight  when  he  was  ready.  He  was  always  a  hand 
some,  great  fellow;  but  dressed  in  these  colours  he 
would  be  noticed  anywhere,  and  with  the  combined 
expression  of  absolute  ignorance  of  the  situation  and 
his  usual  careless  fearlessness  he  would  have  brought 
me  to  laughter,  if  I  had  not  had  a  great  fear  of 
what  he  might  do. 

So  we  left  the  study  through  the  door  by  which 
Clinton  had  entered,  and  found  ourselves  the  next 
moment  in  the  most  brilliant  scene  that  had  yet  met 
my  Puritan  eyes.  I  have  no  doubt  the  court  at 
Windsor,  or  Whitehall,  was  finer,  but  I  had  heard 


i92    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

for  more  than  a  year  that  Clinton  held  here  a  mag 
nificent  court  of  his  own,  which  vied,  so  our  reports 
told,  even  with  the  king's.  In  the  great  ball-room 
the  lights  of  hundreds  of  candles,  hanging  from  the 
ceilings  in  groups,  and  all  about  the  walls,  lit  up 
and  reflected  in  the  polished  floor  a  hundred  or  more 
gay  red  uniforms,  with  here  and  there  a  blue  or 
black  German  officer's  dress,  and  the  white  and  pink 
and  blue  silks  of  women  whose  fair  shoulders  and 
necks  held  as  high  heads  and  as  beautiful  faces  as  I 
could  imagine. 

Some  danced  gracefully  a  minuet,  or  the  waltz. 
Others  sat  about  in  beautiful  mahogany  furniture, 
and  still  others  stood  in  groups  talking  and  laugh 
ing  as  if  no  war,  nor  misery,  nor  any  suffering 
troops  were  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  to  say 
nothing  of  all  this  at  their  very  door.  I  could  not 
understand  it.  After  all,  't  was  a  besieged  town,  and 
the  frightful  small-pox  was  raging  all  about  them, 
and  still  I  could  see  one  beauty  after  another  flirting 
with  her  fan  and  her  bright  eyes  with  some  tall 
Britisher,  and  gossiping  of  the  scandal  of  the  hour 
as  the  fiddlers  drew  out  the  slow  measures  of  a  waltz. 

Up  to  such  a  group  we  now  came,  and  Lord 
Howe,  with  no  very  good  grace,  accosted  an  old 
woman,  with  wrinkled  cheeks  and  a  scrawny  neck, 
yet  bedecked  in  silks  and  satins,  and  with  a  towering 
headdress  that  made  her  bob  about  like  a  decrepit 
peacock. 

"  Madam  De  Lancy,"  said  he,  bowing  low,  "  per 
mit  me  to  present  Mr.  Merton,  who  has  just  arrived." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    193 

The  old  lady  looked  at  me  through  her  lorgnettes 
with  a  vicious  squint: 

"Mr.  Merton,"  said  she.  "What  Merton?  Any 
thing  to  do  with  the  Mertons  of  Salem  ?  " 

"  The  same  family,  ma'am,"  said  I,  truthfully 
enough,  yet  I  could  not  see  what  business  it  might 
perchance  be  of  hers. 

"  A  bad  lot,"  she  continued,  taking  down  her  new 
fangled  eye-glass ;  "  traitors  to  their  king,  most  of 
them,  except  Edward,  —  and  he  has  fled,  they  say." 

I  have  never,  God  knows,  had  the  control  of  my 
too  vigorous  temper,  and  it  will  even  to  this  day 
get  the  better  of  me  at  precisely  the  wrong  moment, 
even  as  now  when  I  must  needs  answer  somewhat 
briskly : 

"  Such  division  of  sentiment  is  not  confined  to  one 
family,  ma'am,  in  these  days." 

The  result  of  this,  bad  taste  as  it  was,  wras  like 
to  have  upset  me;  for  the  old  dame  turned  purple 
in  the  face  and  gripped  her  fan  as  she  cried: 

"What  business  is  that  of  yours,   sir?" 

I  was  on  the  point  of  answering  something  to  turn 
her  unexplained  wrath  when  I  caught  the  sound  of 
a  particular  kind  of  stifled  gasp  that  had  something 
so  familiar  in  it  as  to  make  me  turn  about  —  and 
find  myself  face  to  face  with  Deborah  Philipse. 
Yet  I  should  scarce  have  known  her.  Her  hair  was 
up  from  her  face,  powdered  and  with  a  flower  in 
it,  and  her  dress  was  of  some  light  silken  cloth,  I 
know  not  of  what  colour  or  quality,  so  made  as  to 
show  her  fair  young  neck  and  shoulders,  then  run- 

13 


i94    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

ning  down  to  her  waist  in  some  sort  of  a  pointed 
bodice  all  covered  with  a  flowery  design. 

She  was  beautiful!  She  would  be  beautiful  in  the 
most  wretched  dress  that  was  ever  cast  off  by  beggar ! 
She  would  be  beautiful  anywhere!  But  now,  in  such 
a  gown  as  I  had  never  seen,  she  was  as  lovely  a 
specimen  of  young  womanhood  as  stood  in  that  room, 
or  any  room  this  side  of  heaven  —  aye,  perhaps,  on 
the  other  side,  too.  But  I  knew  her  eyes  and  her 
voice  when  she  said  with  fine  sarcasm,  as  she  might 
to  a  stranger  who  had  insulted  her: 

"  You  deal  in  generalities,  sir.     'T  is  bad  taste." 

I  could  not  hold  her  look,  and  so  let  my  eyes 
fall,  and  shuffled  my  feet  in  awkward  fashion.  Lord 
Howe  saved  me. 

"  One  must  know  the  niece  nowadays  as  well  as 
the  aunt,  eh,  ma'am?  Mistress  Philipse,  I  have  the 
honour  to  present  Mr.  Merton,"  and  he  bowed  with 
a  reverence  and  a  look  that  I  did  not  like.  What 
was  she  to  him,  I  wonder?  In  my  turn  I  bowed 
and  apologised,  I  know  not  what,  to  Madam  De 
Lancy,  and  then  in  a  moment  I  had  been  presented, 
as  well  as  Acton,  to  several  ladies  and  one  or  two 
officers,  —  Major  Sproat,  Mistress  Knyphausen,  Gen 
eral  Patterson,  and  other  young  men  and  women. 
Howe  then  moved  away,  saying: 

"  Mr.  Merton  and  his  friend  have  ridden  far  and 
eaten  nothing,  and  by  Sir  Henry's  orders  he  is  to  be 
fed.  Mistress  Debby,  will  you  act  as  commissariat  ?  " 

But  Acton  I  saw  with  many  misgivings  already 
striding  across  the  polished  floor,  laughing  and  talk- 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    195 

ing  with  the  little  minx,  Mistress  Knyphausen.  What 
would  the  reckless  fool  say?  I  hated  to  have  him 
out  of  my  reach. 

"  Well,  Sir  Starved  Man,"  said  the  young  lady  at 
my  elbow,  "  will  you  eat  ?  I  must  obey  my  orders." 

I  offered  her  my  arm,  and  bowing  to  the  group 
we  went  into  the  banquet  room  across  the  hall,  and 
when  I  had  procured  some  food  of  a  nature  that 
was  absolutely  unknown  to  me  —  something  of 
truffles  and  spices,  and  sandwiches  with  paste  of  I 
know  not  what  substance  in  them  —  she  led  me  with 
out  a  word  into  the  side  hall  and  sat  down  upon 
the  lower  steps  of  the  stairway. 

"  So,  sir,'5  she  began  in  another  tone,  "  I  know 
now  who  you  are.  It  seems  that  you  enjoy  the  profes 
sion  of  a  spy."  I  turned  on  her  and  looked  her  well 
in  the  face.  "  Do  you  not  think,  perchance,  that  you 
might  take  a  hint  from  Major  Andre's  situation  that 
may  work  so  ill  for  him  ?  " 

"  Madam,"  said  I,  "  if  I  could  equal  Andre  as  a 
man,  I  would  be  willing  to  belong  to  what  you  are 
pleased  to  call  his  profession.  He  was  the  type  of  a 
gentleman." 

"  Was?  "  she  asked,  under  her  breath. 

"  He  is  dead,  Mistress  Philipse,  or  will  be  in  a 
few  days,"  I  said,  gently. 

"Andre  has  been  —  been  —  " 

"  He  was  condemned  two  days  ago." 

"  It  is  terrible,  terrible,"  and  she  looked  at  me 
with  sorrow  in  her  eyes.  "  Why  do  you  stoop  to 
such  things  ?  " 


196    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

"  I  am  not  such  a  man !  I  am  not  a  spy,  and 
what  I  do  now  is  neither  your  affair  nor  mine.  I 
serve  one  who  must  be  obeyed,  and  I  do  what  he  tells 
me  to  do.  'T  is  no  more  enjoyable  a  work  than  the 
one  I  had  to  do  a  few  days  ago."  I  know  not  why 
I  spoke  so  bitterly.  Perhaps  because  I  had  not  till 
that  moment  looked  upon  myself  as  doing  the  work 
indeed  of  a  veritable  spy.  "  You  have  me  in  your 
power,  mistress,  and  you  can  to-night  put  an  end  to 
another  spy,  as  you  are  pleased  to  infer  I  am.  I 
cannot  prevent  you.  Indeed,  I  do  not  know  that  I 
care  to." 

She  looked  at  me  intently  for  some  moments  and 
then  glancing  beyond  me  murmured: 

"  I  do  not  know.  I  cannot  tell.  Perhaps  I  should, 
for  I  believe  I  know  the  reason  for  your  presence 
here,  and  it  is  no  doubt  my  duty  —  yes,  indeed, 
I  have  been  there,"  she  cried,  suddenly,  in  a 
lively  voice.  "  'T  is  a  pretty  town,  Boston,  but  so 
prayerful." 

I  looked  at  her  in  amazement,  and  then  heard  over 
my  shoulder: 

"  Debby,  't  is  long  past  midnight.  We  must  go 
home." 

She  sat  quietly  a  moment,  and  I  rose  and  bowed  to 
Judge  Philipse,  her  father  —  a  dignified  and  courtly 
grey-haired  man  of  sixty,  in  a  kind  of  court  dress, 
I  suppose,  with  long  faced  coat  and  knee-breeches. 

"  I  will  come  directly,  papa,"  she  said.  "  Mr.  Mer- 
ton  is  just  here  from  a  journey,  and  Lord  Howe 
has  bidden  me  see  that  he  eats." 


The  Baroness  Riedesei 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    197 

He  bowed  without  a  word  and  moved  on. 

"  I  do  not  know  what  I  should  do,"  she  con 
tinued. 

"  The  tables  are  turned,  Mistress  Deborah,"  said 
I.  "  My  life  is  in  your  hands,"  and  I  saw  her 
look  quickly  at  me  with  a  serious  depth  in  her 
eyes.  Then  that  glint  came  on  a  sudden,  and  she 
murmured : 

"  Very  well,  then,  you  will  do  exactly  as  I  bid, 
or  —  or  suffer  the  consequences !  " 

"I  must." 

"  Then  accept  the  invitation  you  will  receive  in  a 
moment  for  to-morrow  night." 

"  I  can  do  naught  but  my  duty,  and  that  occupies 
me." 

"Oh,  you  cannot?  We  will  see.  I  shall  take  my 
course  as  you  select."  Then  in  an  instant  she  was 
looking  at  me  earnestly.  "  Do  it  for  me !  I  want 
to  tell  you  of  something,"  and  she  got  up  and 
walked  towards  a  lady  of  graceful  figure  and  as 
sweet  and  sincere  a  face  as  I  had  yet  seen  in  that 
gay  room. 

"  Mr.  Merton,  let  me  present  you  to  the  dearest 
woman  in  this  whole  world,  the  Baroness  Riedesel." 

With  an  amused  laugh  the  lady  gave  me  her  hand, 
and  I  bent  over  it  without  affectation,  for  any  one 
could  see  that  she  was  a  generous,  loving  woman 
with  a  heart  big  enough  for  all,  and  a  face  that 
was  as  beautiful  as  it  was  good.  She  spoke  with  a 
marked  accent,  but  in  perfect  English. 

"  I  am  yery  glad  to  know  Mr.  Merton." 


198    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

"  But  that  is  not  all,"  said  the  brazen  young  woman 
at  my  side,  "  I  want  you  to  do  something  very  kind 
to  me." 

"What  is  it,  Debby,  dear?"  asked  the  baroness. 

"Ask  him  to  your  supper  to-morrow  night.  I 
find  I  knew  him  once  long,  long  ago  in  Boston. 
Will  you,  dear?" 

The  older  lady  leaned  over  and  kissed  her, 
laughing. 

"  Surely.  Will  you  come  at  six,  Mr.  Merton  ? 
We  live  next  the  corner  of  Wall  and  William  Streets, 
close  by  Governor  Tryon's  mansion." 

I  said  I  would,  and  thanked  her,  and  we  moved 
on  to  find  the  girl's  father.  As  we  approached,  she 
looked  up  at  me  with  a  bland  and  child-like  expres 
sion,  and  said  softly: 

"  You  may  live  a  day  longer,  sir ! "  and  was  gone. 

I  saw  a  cluster  of  young  men  in  uniforms  gather 
about  her  and  beseech  a  dance,  and  heard  them  tell 
her  she  had  driven  Sir  Henry  away  by  her  actions. 
And  then  she  was  the  centre  of  the  room,  with  the 
men  around  her  like  bees,  talking  and  laughing  as 
if  she  had  not  another  thought  in  the  world,  and  I 
knew  it  was  right  so,  for  was  there  another  head 
set  so  jauntily  on  such  another  pair  of  shoulders 
in  all  that  room? 

I  stood,  saying  over  to  myself  again  and  again, 
"  Yet  she  is  my  wife,  young  coxcomb  that  art  lead 
ing  her  away  so  proudly!  She  is  my  wife,  man! 
She  is  my  wife !  "  And  I  went  out  through  the  hall 
saying  it  under  my  breath,  and  found  Acton  and 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    199 

took  him  off,  saying  it  over  and  over  again,  till  he 
began  asking  me  what  the  devil  ailed  me,  and  what 
I  muttered  about,  and  had  I  noticed  Mistress  This 
and  Mistress  That,  and  I  bade  him  go  hang  himself 
for  a  dirty  spy  as  he  was. 


CHAPTER     XVIII 

THE  DINNER  OF  THE  BARONESS   RIEDESEL 

AT  the  stroke  of  six  the  next  night  I  stood 
before  the  fine  mansion  which  the  Baroness 
Riedesel  occupied,  with  a  foreboding,  and, 
to  tell  good  truth,  a  bit  of  a  fluttering  in  my  insides. 
We,  Acton  and  I,  had  late  in  the  night  slipped  back 
into  the  ruined  house  and  found  the  old  woman  lying 
in  the  back  room  nearly  dead  with  terror,  and  with 
the  mark  of  a  foul  blow  over  her  eye  and  down  her 
cheek.  We  got  her  up  and  brought  her  to,  only  to 
find  Hazeltine  gone.  'T  was  no  place  for  us,  and  so, 
on  her  advice,  and  deeming  the  open  method  wisest, 
we  betook  ourselves  to  the  "  Star  and  Garter,"  a 
boarding-house  kept  by  Mrs.  Hodges  at  the  Battery, 
down  below  Clinton's  mansion  and  over  against  old 
Fort  George. 

There  we  stayed  all  day,  working  out,  partly  from 
our  window  view,  partly  from  our  information,  the 
lay  of  the  land  back  of  Arnold's  house,  just  above 
the  Commander-in-Chief's  mansion.  Only  once  I 
went  out  to  find  a  man  named  Low,  who  had  been 
mentioned  to  me  as  a  brave  patriot  of  the  Sons  of 
Liberty,  living  under  the  stigma  of  Toryism  to 
serve  his  country  by  staying  in  the  city  —  a  doctor- 
chirurgeon.  I  went  down  Wall  Street,  by  the  hosts 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    f    201 

of  shops  that  had  laces  and  silks  and  satins  in  their 
windows,  and  rare  fruits,  and  met  ladies  daintily 
picking  their  way  from  carriages  through  the  muddy 
streets,  full  of  pitfalls  and  holes  and  filthy  gutters 
where  the  drains  ran. 

Four  times  in  that  hour  I  met  carts  with  canvases 
over  them,  but  not  so  completely  as  to  prevent  one 
from  seeing  half  a  dozen  dead  bodies  lying  one  on 
the  other  beneath  the  covering,  going,  so  a  shop 
keeper  told  me,  to  the  trenches  up  above  the  city, 
where  they  were  thrown  to  rot  in  the  sun  and  rain. 
Many  of  them  were  my  compatriots,  who  had  lain 
in  the  Sugar  House  or  Bridewell  Prison,  —  for  many 
thousands  of  our  poor  fellows  lay  here  still,  since 
the  day,  more  than  three  years  ago,  when  I  had 
marched  north  with  Putnam  for  my  life.  Low  I 
found  at  last,  and  a  good  man  and  true  he  was  to 
me.  Somehow  he  knew  of  my  coming,  and  we  ar 
ranged  a  plan  for  an  attack  at  the  foot  of  Arnold's 
garden  two  days  hence. 

Then  I  left  Acton,  telling  him  —  more  shame  be 
it  to  me  —  that  I  was  going  to  sup  in  order  that  I 
might  get  word  of  Arnold's  habits.  And  yet  what 
came  of  that  dinner  would  have  made  me  stop  a 
bit,  had  I  foreseen  it.  And  so  I  was  ushered  into 
the  drawing-room  in  the  finest  coat  and  breeks  I 
could  buy  in  the  shops  and  a  tie  and  lace  front  that 
made  me  feel  like  a  gaudy  popinjay  from  some  sickly 
European  court.  The  baroness  came  in  a  moment 
and  kindly  bade  me  sit,  saying  the  others  would  be 
there  in  a  few  moments.  Indeed  I  found  the  custom 


202    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

prevailed  to  arrive  half  an  hour  late,  which  seemed 
to  me  then,  and  does  still,  to  be  a  foolish  bit  of  inane 
fashion. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  she,  with  genuine  tears  in 
her  eyes,  "  that  we  have  just  heard  of  our  friend 
Major  Andre's  horrible  sentence.  Did  you  know  him, 
Mr.  Merton?" 

"  I  never  saw  him,  but  he  was  a  good  and  true 
gentleman,"  I  answered. 

"  These  are  terrible  days.  I  cannot  sleep  o'  nights 
for  thinking  that  my  little  daughters  may  catch  this 
terrible  plague.  Only  this  afternoon  my  husband 
told  me  that  twenty-seven  of  the  poor  prisoners  died 
of  it  yesterday  on  the  prison  ships  in  the  harbour.  I 
wish  I  might  do  something  to  aid  them,  but,  beauti 
ful  as  our  house  is,  we  have  hard  labour  to  get  wood 
and  food,  such  is  the  price  of  all  necessaries." 

My  better  self  warmed  to  the  lady  and  I  told  her 
she  had  a  good  heart,  and  that  I,  too,  could  not  keep 
my  thoughts  from  the  wretched  prisoners. 

"  Governor  Tryon  and  General  Patterson,  the  com 
mandant  of  the  town,  are  goodness  itself  to  me," 
said  she.  "  But  't  is  a  terrible  time  and  often  I  yearn 
and  long  for  my  own  dear  Brunswick." 

"  'T  is  indeed  a  terrible  time,  ma'am,  but  if  all  the 
women  had  but  such  hearts  as  yours  the  suffering 
would  be  infinitely  less." 

She  gave  me  a  smile,  though  there  were  tears  in 
her  eyes,  and  held  out  her  hand  to  me. 

"  We  can  do  so  little,  and  dare  not  attempt  an 
opinion,"  she  said. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    203 

I  stooped  over  her  white  fingers  and  kissed  them, 
just  as  some  one  entered  the  room.  Looking  up,  I 
caught  a  glance  from  a  pair  of  dark  eyes  that  sent 
a  thrill  of  joy  through  my  body,  and  made  me  laugh 
in  spite  of  myself;  for  there  stood  Mistress  Philipse 
with  as  surprised  a  pout  on  her  pretty  lips  as  ever 
was  seen.  Did  she  think  I  was  paying  court  to  an 
other?  God  be  thanked,  if  she  did! 

But  there  was  no  time  for  more  than  a  greeting 
and  a  friendly  kiss  from  the  hostess,  when  in  came 
the  governor  of  the  town,  Tryon,  with  his  wife 
and  daughter,  Major  Sproat,  a  Lieutenant  Purdy, 
General  Patterson,  and  a  man  they  called  Captain 
Atherton,  who  seemed  to  me  at  the  moment  to  look 
strangely  familiar.  Then,  as  we  sat  about  the  room, 
I  made  note  that  every  one  rose,  and  turning  to  the 
door  saw  a  young  man,  hardly  more  than  a  boy, 
enter,  talking  easily  with  his  companion  and  nodding 
here  and  there  as  he  walked  over  to  the  baroness, 
and  I  guessed  rightly  that  'twas  the  young  Prince 
Henry,  whose  coming  had  reached  even  our  Con 
necticut  ears.  Finally,  with  much  fuss  of  chariot  and 
horses  outside,  up  drove  the  decrepit  old  peacock, 
Madam  De  Lancy. 

"  And  why  should  I  not  be  out  ? "  cried  she  in  a 
venomous  voice  to  the  host,  who  had  but  congratu 
lated  himself  on  her  being  there.  "  Do  you  think 
I  am  too  old  to  get  out  of  my  bed  ?  " 

"  Gott  verbar,  ma'am,"  cried  the  baron.  "  You 
grow  younger  every  day." 

"  'T  is  a  wonder  I  live  at  all.     Can  you  not  give 


204    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

us  a  stick  of  wood  to  cook  by,  major?"  cried  she, 
turning  on  Sproat  who  stood  near.  "  Here  have  I 
to-day  paid  eight  pound  for  a  pitiful  cord." 

"  Ma'am,"  said  the  major,  with  apology  in  his 
tone,  "  we  are  every  hour  sending  parties  to  Long 
Island  to  get  it  as  best  they  can." 

"  Stuff  and  nonsense,"  cried  the  old  dame,  her 
face  twitching  like  a  play-actor's.  "  Why  do  ye  not 
cut  down  the  trees  out  here  in  the  street?  I  wish 
the  rebels  were  all  gone  to  the  devil ! "  and  she 
hobbled  off  on  the  arm  of  an  officer  to  a  beautiful 
mahogany  chair  that  never  was  made  in  our  land. 

We  were  now  a  goodly  company  of  twenty  at  least, 
and,  supper  being  announced  by  a  factotum  all  pow 
dered  like  the  rest,  I  stood  at  one  side  till  the  baroness 
passing  me  said,  "  Go  and  take  in  Deborah."  Then, 
looking  at  me  with  a  friendly  smile,  but  a  sad  face, 
"  Be  good  and  kind  to  her  to-night,  for  she  is  in 
a  great  trouble." 

Trouble?  What  could  be  the  trouble,  I  thought, 
as  I  passed  over  to  her  and  gave  her  my  arm  ? 

There  was  some  difficulty  in  getting  the  proper 
place  in  line,  for  each  officer  must  go  in  as  his  rank 
dictated,  and  so,  led  by  the  young  prince  and  the 
baroness,  we  marched  into  the  banquet  room  with 
swish  of  silken  gowns  and  tinkle  of  spurred  boots. 

After  the  saying  of  a  grace,  all  were  talking  at  the 
long  table  at  once  and  the  murmur  of  voices  kept 
me  from  hearing  many  words,  except  those  on  either 
side  and  immediately  next  to  me.  And,  indeed,  the 
dishes  that  loaded  the  board  and  were  each  moment 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    205 

set  before  us  by  five  or  six  men-servants  were  by  a 
good  half  unknown  to  me.  Beef  I  could  tell,  and 
a  dish  of  chicken,  but  there  were  others  built  up 
high  with  pasty  and  mixed  in  with  coloured  sauces, 
the  like  of  which  I  had  not  seen  before. 

Blessed  with  a  good  appetite,  I  tasted  all  the  men 
passed  to  me  and  found  them  palatable.  Talk  ran 
on  current  things,  of  the  recent  fight  in  Staten  Island, 
of  Andre's  coming  execution,  and  anything  that  came 
up;  until,  in  the  midst  of  a  foolish  remark  of  her 
own  invention  and  with  a  laugh  on  her  face,  I  heard 
Mistress  Philipse  saying  in  a  low  voice,  as  if  it  came 
from  some  one  else: 

"  I  have  much  to  say  to  you  —  two  things.  Have 
a  care  of  your  countenance  and  let  no  one  read  in 
your  face  what  you  hear." 

For  a  moment  I  was  at  a  loss,  her  face  so  belied 
her  words.  Then  taking  up  a  glass  of  wine,  I  did 
as  I  had  seen  others  do  already  —  held  it  towards 
her,  bowed,  smiled,  and  said :  "  Proceed,  mistress, 
I  am  listening,"  and  drank  part  of  the  wine. 

"Good!"  said  she.  "Well,  then,  I  learned  from 
my  father  to-night  that  a  famous  —  famous  —  agent 
of  Sir  Henry's  was  found  gagged  and  bound  in  the 
top  of  a  half  burned  house  at  the  foot  of  Broadway 
last  night  —  your  face,  man,  your  face !  "  she  laughed, 
suddenly. 

"Tell  us  of  the  joke,  Mistress  Philipse!"  called 
Captain  Atherton  across  the  table. 

"  Ah,  't  is  a  secret,  Captain,"  said  she,  brightly, 
"between  Mr.  Merton  and  myself.  .We  are  plotting 


206    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

the  ruin  of  some  one."  Then  turning  to  me,  still 
with  a  smile  on  her  lips,  but  a  strange  pleading  in 
her  eyes,  "  I  do  not  know  what  is  being  done.  But 
he  is  a  secret  agent  whom  no  one  knows,  so  that  it 
must  be  kept  quiet.  But  —  but  —  they  are  search 
ing  with  all  the  forces  and  power  at  their  command 
to  find  the  man  who  did  it.  All  that  noise  outside 
last  night  was  the  attack  being  made  to  capture  him. 
They  may  —  they  may  find  him !  " 

"And  if  they  do?" 

"  They  will  kill  him  without  trial,  or  the  knowledge 
of  any  one  but  themselves !  " 

I  knew  it  well,  and  had  all  day.  Yet  't  is  not  in 
me  to  deny  that  a  cold  shiver  ran  up  my  spine,  as 
I  stood  up  with  the  others  and  drank  at  the  baron's 
call  the  health  of  "  their  Gracious  Majesties  the  King 
and  Queen,"  and  I  took  what  there  was  in  my  glass. 

"  I  am  sorry  for  the  man,  whoever  he  be." 

"  God  guard  him ! "  whispered  the  girl  under  her 
breath  with  a  white  face. 

"  Pinch  your  cheeks,  mistress,"  said  I,  smiling, 
"  for  I  think  the  captain  fears  the  joke  is  but  a  poor 
one." 

Her  face  lit  with  a  quick,  natural  smile. 

"Twas  not  you,  then,  was  it?     Tell  me!" 

"  Rather  tell  Major  Sproat  on  your  right  the  pith 
of  the  joke,"  said  I,  and  I  took  to  myself  the  rest 
of  the  glass  of  burgundy,  for  the  wine  was  good  for 
the  nerves,  and  before  we  were  done  there  were  five 
kinds  set  before  us. 

In  a  moment  or  two  she  turned  again  to  me. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    207 

"  That  was  a  capital  story,"  I  said.  "  Tell  me  the 
other  you  mentioned.  —  Ah !  't  will  be  less  amusing 
I  can  see  from  your  sorrowful  face !  "  But  the  girl 
that  I  had  seen  stand  up  before  five  ruffians  in  the 
foul  tavern  was  as  game  here  as  there.  She  changed 
the  expression  of  her  face,  but  she  could  not  alter  the 
look  in  her  eyes.  For  a  moment  she  crumbled  a 
bit  of  bread  at  her  plate,  looking  at  it,  and  then: 

"  There  is  not  much  of  a  story,  and  what  there  is 
of  it  is  but  an  old  and  common  tale." 

"  Yet  I  would  hear  it,  if  I  may/'  I  answered. 

"  There  was  once  a  young  girl  —  a  foolish  wench 
—  who  was  bidden  by  her  parent  to  a  good  marriage." 

"Ah!"  said  I.  "Tis  a  fairy  tale.  And  why 
was  the  wench  a  foolish  wench  ?  " 

"A  fairy  tale,  indeed,"  she  answered,  "but  this 
foolish  wench  would  none  of  this  good  marriage, 
because  the  man  was  a  mean  and  cowardly  wretch, 
and  —  and  — "  she  had  turned  to  me  a  little,  her 
hand  still  crumbling  the  bread,  one  white  arm  rest 
ing  on  the  cloth,  the  other  hand  in  her  lap,  quivering 
on  her  silken  dress,  and  her  fair  white  bosom  rose 
and  fell  quickly,  as  if  it  would  burst  her  bodice, 
but  finding  that  too  strong  would  escape  above  it; 
"  —  and  she  was  forced  to  do  this  thing,  this  dread 
ful  thing,  by  her  father's  wish  — " 

"  And,"  said  I,  suddenly,  "  she  ran  away  to  escape 
it?  —  " 

"  And  was  brought  back  to  it,"  she  added,  giving 
me  a  long  look  that  stirred  the  very  soul  in  me, 
"  was  brought  back  to  it,  because  the  good  man  of 


208    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

the  good  marriage  held  the  fortunes  of  her  father 
in  the  palm  of  his  hand  —  " 

"  Thy  face  is  a  beautiful  but  an  open  book,  Mis 
tress  Deborah,"  said  I,  interrupting  her,  "  and  there 
be  those  here  that  can  read,  I  fear.  —  So!  That 
closes  the  volume  partly,"  for  she  had  straightened 
up  a  bit,  and  a  little  pitiful  smile  struggled  at  the 
corners  of  her  mouth.  God  knows  I  could  have 
taken  her  in  my  arms  there  before  them  all,  had 
I  dared,  and  comforted  her  in  her  loneliness  and 
trouble,  and  bade  her  have  no  fear.  But  I  only 
said  between  my  teeth: 

"What  did  this  good  man  to  her?" 

"  He  threatened  her  always,  and  tried  to  force  her 
to  it,  and  held  up  the  ruin  of  her  family  —  he  has, 
indeed,  time  and  again !  " 

"  Curse  the  coward !  "  said  I,  softly. 

"And  —  and  she  had  no  one  to  help  her  —  in 
this  fairy  tale  —  until  she  saw  some  one  —  " 

"Aye,  dear  heart,  he  is  found,"  said  I.  "What 
shall  he  do?" 

"If  he  would  meet  her  and  let  her  —  " 

"Where  and  when?" 

"  To-morrow  night  beyond  the  Vauxhall  Gardens 
a  few  rods,  by  a  clump  of  four  great  trees." 

"  He  will  be  there !  And  stay  —  let  the  princess 
in  the  fairy  tale  have  the  good  man  meet  her  there, 
too! — Aye,  do  as  I  bid,  girl !  "  I  added,  as  a  frightened 
look  came  into  her  eyes. 

"You  are  a  good  friend,  Merton  —  Mr.  Merton," 
said  she,  softly,  as  her  head  bent  for  a  moment, 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    209 

And  there  under  the  table,  my  foot  touching  hers, 
I  put  mine  upon  it  and  gave  the  only  pressure  of 
sympathy  vouchsafed  to  me.  Up  over  her  face  to 
her  white  forehead  and  on  into  her  hair  went  a  sweet 
flush  that  seemed  to  draw  a  smile  after  it,  playing 
about  her  lips  and  into  her  beautiful  eyes. 

Strange  that  just  then  I  caught  a  warning  look  in 
the  baroness'  face  as  she  talked  on  to  the  Prince. 
But  I  did  see  it,  and,  not  knowing  what  to  do,  drank 
off  again  at  a  gulp  another  glass  of  wine. 

The  little  shoe  fluttered  under  my  boot,  but  did 
not  withdraw,  and  for  a  moment  we  sat  there  quiet 
in  the  midst  of  that  bustling,  laughing,  gossiping 
room  full,  with  glasses  clinking  and  toasts  tripping 
up  and  down  the  board.  And  as  the  hostess  rose  and 
all  followed  her  example  I  caught  a  strange  look 
in  young  Atherton's  eyes  —  where  the  fiend  had  I 
seen  that  face  before?  —  that  at  this  moment  was 
enough  to  set  me  on  fire  as  I  stepped  back  to  hand 
my  supper  partner  to  the  door  of  the  drawing-room. 
There  I  gave  her  to  the  fair  young  baroness,  and 
saw  them  lock  arms  affectionately  and  walk  on  into 
the  other  room  close  together,  but  saying  not  a  word. 

"  Draw  up  to  this  end  of  the  table,  gentlemen," 
cried  the  host,  cheerfully.  "  Let  us  give  the  health 
of  His  Royal  Highness ! "  And  so  we  stood  and 
drank  again,  and  in  good  truth,  what  with  my 
strange  conversation  and  the  two  great  pieces  of 
news  I  had  heard  within  an  hour,  I  found  I  had 
had  enough  for  one  man,  more  than  enough  for  one 
who  had  not  been  blessed  with  a  hard  head  that  paid 

»4 


2io    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   v 

little  heed  to  the  fumes  of  wine.  'T  was  evident  that 
some  of  the  others  had  fared  worse  and  drunk  more. 
Tryon,  who  took  the  chair  next  the  Prince  as  we 
sat  down  on  either  side  of  him,  let  out  the  buttons 
of  his  waistcoat,  and  sat  back  puffing  out  his  cheeks 
between  his  words,  as  if  the  purple  veins  had  more 
than  they  could  well  carry. 

"  Baron,"  puffed  he  in  a  gruff  voice,  "  where  got 
ye  this  fine  old  burgundy  ?  'T  is  a  rare  bottle,  as  I  'm 
damned!  Have  ye  not  found  it  to  your  Highness's 
taste  ?  "  turning  to  the  young  prince. 

"  Indeed  I  have,"  said  the  latter.  "  There  's  none 
better  in  London,  I  '11  be  sworn." 

"  'T  is  but  just  come  in  the  last  packet,"  replied 
the  baron.  "And  Sir  Henry  would  not  hear  but  I 
should  take  some  of  it." 

"  'T  is  helped  by  the  voyage,  indeed  it  is,"  puffed 
the  governor  again.  "  What 's  this  we  hear  of  the 
rebel  Washington's  silly  trick  with  Rochambeau?" 

"  Mr.  Merton  could  tell  us  much  if  he  would," 
answered  Major  Purdy.  I  was  in  the  act  of  lighting 
my  clay  pipe  when  this  startling  answer  froze  me 
as  I  sat  with  the  taper  in  my  hand;  and  then  I  took 
a  long  breath  as  he  went  on,  "  He  's  just  come  from 
Newport.  Is  it  not  so,  sir  ?  " 

"  Oh,  aye !  "  cried  the  governor.  "  You  are  the 
messenger  that  saw  Sir  Henry  last  night,  eh  ? " 

"  The  French  are  safe  and  sound  in  Newport," 
said  I.  "  And  like  to  stay  there." 

"  Let  'em  be  safe  in  hell,  as  soon  as  they  will," 
said  the  general,  "  and  all  the  rest  of  the  frog-eating 
traitors." 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    211 

"  A  health  to  the  governor ! "  cried  Major  Sproat, 
getting  heavily  to  his  feet.  "  And  damnation  and 
confusion  to  the  rebels  all !  May  the  whole  lot  rot  in 
prison  soon !  "  Down  went  more  wine,  and  whether 
't  was  the  drink  in  me  or  the  thought  of  to-morrow 
night,  I  was  near  up  at  him  for  his  cursed  British 
toast.  I  moved  my  chair  to  join  some  of  the  younger 
men,  and  found  myself  close  to  Atherton,  who  was 
droning  a  song  through  his  tipsy  lips. 

"  Aye !  "  said  he,  "  good !  'T  is  a  proper  senti 
ment.  To  hell  with  them  all!  But  I'll  give  ye 
another.  I  '11  bid  ye  drink  to  the  brightest  pair  of 
eyes  in  the  town,  that  were  but  just  now  not  a  hun 
dred  yards  from  our  friend  here." 

"  Good !  Good !  "  cried  Prince  Henry,  and  they 
drank  what  I  and  all  knew  to  be  a  toast  to  Mistress 
Philipse. 

"  They  say  her  cousin  Pendleton's  case  goes  by 
hard  roads,"  said  a  young  fellow  in  a  big  red  coat, 
"  and  that  she  '11  none  of  him  in  spite  of  her  father." 

"  I  would  I  had  his  chance,"  mumbled  Atherton. 
"  I  'd  win  by  fair  or  foul  means,  and  that  soon,  too ! 
For  there 's  no  finer  bit  of  female  flesh  in  the 
colonies." 

I  cursed  the  drunken  beast  under  my  breath,  and 
held  to  my  chair  to  keep  myself  from  driving  his 
words  down  his  throat. 

"  He  '11  win  her  yet,"  said  Sproat.  "  They  tell  me 
Sir  Henry  is  none  too  sure  of  the  father's  loyalty, 
and  some  of  the  family,  so  't  is  whispered,  are  starv 
ing  with  the  rebels  at  this  moment."  At  this  I 


212    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

pricked  up  my  ears,  and  the  strange  fleeting  resem 
blance  she  bore  to  Rob  Curtis  came  to  my  mind. 

"  I  heard  to-day,  too,"  laughed  a  young  subaltern, 
"  that  a  reconnoissance  was  foiled  at  the  Judge's 
country  house  up  above  Gowan's  Ferry  but  a  week 
ago,  and  some  good  fellows  lost.  'T  is  rumoured  the 
old  man  knew  somewhat  of  how  't  was  done." 

The  sweat  came  out  in  beads  on  my  forehead.  Had 
I  perhaps  made  her  lot  the  harder  by  my  work  ?  Curse 
these  scandal-mongers  for  fools! 

"  Tut !  tut !  "  laughed  Atherton,  leaning  forward 
and  leering  at  the  company.  "  There  's  more  behind 
that  little  episode  than  Sir  Henry  knows." 

"  What  is  it,  man  ? "  cried  one  or  two  drawing 
towards  him. 

"  The  little  girls  will  have  their  fling,  eh,  your 
Highness?  And  she  is  no  saint,  they  say,  and  a  re 
connoissance  may  not  always  be  to  study  the  enemy." 

The  crew  laughed  out,  and  cried  to  know  the  story. 

"  Nay,  boys,  you  should  not  hear  it.  'T  will  take 
your  thoughts  from  the  cause,"  said  Atherton,  lean 
ing  back  and  looking  over  the  company  with  a  patron 
ising  air. 

But  they  cried  out  for  it,  and,  with  my  breath  com 
ing  quick  and  short,  I  leaned  forward  too. 

He  slowly  drank  another  glass  and  looked  about 
him.  Then,  lowering  his  voice,  he  said: 

"  The  house  is  in  neutral  country,  and  empty,  and 
the  lady  has  been  on  a  little  visit  —  a  little  visit,  you 
understand  —  somewhere,  and  a  well-known  coach 
was  found  hard  by  broken  down.  I  saw  it  myself,  for 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    213 

I  was  up  there  on  special  duty.  And  my  little  wench 
could  spend  a  day  or  two  in  peace  and  quiet  with  her 
cavalier  —  " 

'  'T  is  a  foul  lie !  "  I  cried,  striking  the  table  with 
my  fist  till  the  glasses  jumped  about,  and  rising,  I 
stood  over  him,  scarce  realising  what  I  had  done.  For 
I  knew  him  now  well.  JT  was  the  "  jolly  good  fellow  " 
of  Gowan's  Tavern! 

They  were  all  on  their  feet  in  an  instant,  excepting 
Atherton,  who  looked  at  me  with  a  cool  smile  on  his 
face. 

"  And  what  pup  are  you,  my  colonial  squire,  that 
trot  about  telling  gentlemen  they  lie  ?  " 

"  Do  not  burden  your  dull  brain  to  learn  who  I 
am.  JT  is  but  a  cowardly  gentleman,  as  you  call  your 
self,  who  would  blacken  the  fair  name  of  a  woman 
over  his  cups.  Therefore  I  tell  ye,  ye  lie!  The  girl 
is  as  pure  as  snow ! " 

Slowly  he  got  upon  his  feet  as  the  whole  company 
stood  dumbfounded  for  a  moment,  and  with  a  savage 
look  in  his  eye  made  a  step  towards  me  and  lightly 
slapped  me  on  the  cheek  before  I  could  move.  I  had 
him  by  the  throat  in  an  instant,  and  would  have  choked 
the  wind  out  of  him,  had  not  the  whole  company 
jumped  between  us  and  pulled  us  apart. 

"  Let  me  alone !  "  cried  he,  with  a  white  face,  as  half 
a  dozen  held  him  by  the  arms. 

"  Silence !  "  roared  the  governor.  "  What  in  hell's 
name  do  ye  mean  here  in  the  presence  of  your  su 
perior  officers!  Patterson,"  cried  he,  turning  to  the 
commandant,  "  you  'd  better  commit  'em  both.  Why, 


2i4    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

damme,  do  you  think  you  're  in  a  tavern  with  a  lot  of 
low  pimps?  Have  ye  no  respect  for  a  Prince  of  the 
Blood?  And  you,  sir,  whoever  ye  be,"  continued  he, 
getting  more  red  and  furious  at  each  word  as  he 
turned  to  me,  "  do  ye  think  ye  can  bring  your 
clownish  colonial  manners  here  and  tell  people  they 
lie?" 

"  'T  was  a  foul  lie  against  a  fair  name,"  said  I, 
looking  him  in  the  eye. 

"Why,  God  — a  — mercy!"  yelled  the  old  fellow, 
fairly  jumping  up  and  down.  "  The  man  tells  me  I 
lie,  too ! " 

But  General  Patterson  and  the  baron  stepped  for 
ward,  the  one  coming  up  to  me,  the  other  taking  the 
governor  by  the  arm. 

"  Mr.  Merton,"  said  the  commandant,  slowly  but 
coolly  to  me,  "  and  you,  Captain,  shake  hands ! " 

We  both  hesitated. 

"  Shake  hands  this  moment  and  sit  down,  or  you 
will  be  in  irons  in  ten  minutes !  —  Well,  will  ye,  or 
not  ?  "  he  continued,  his  voice  rising  and  a  dark  look 
coming  into  his  face.  And  then  Atherton  broke  from 
his  friends,  laughing  a  forced  laugh,  and  held  out  his 
hand.  I  could  do  naught  but  accept  it,  though  my 
heart  was  bitter  at  the  action. 

"  Now,  offer  your  apologies  to  Baron  Riedesel !  " 
commanded  the  general.  And  we  did  so,  and  sat 
down,  glum  as  dormice.  But  Prince  Henry  saved  the 
day,  and  I  thanked  him  inwardly  for  his  high  sense  of 
honour  as  well  as  his  tact,  for  he  stood  up  and  said, 
as  the  others  were  silent: 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    215 

"  Governor  Tryon,  I  ask  you  and  the  others  to  drink 
the  health  of  Mistress  Deborah  Philipse." 

"  Well  said,  your  Highness !  "  cried  old  Tryon,  and 
we  drank.  But  the  party  was  killed  for  that  night, 
and  as  we  rose  to  go  into  the  drawing-room  Atherton 
came  by  me  and  said  slowly: 

"  Do  you  carry  a  little  steel  tool,  my  young  mer 
chant?" 

I  nodded. 

"  And  can  ye  play  with  it  at  times  ?  " 

"  I  can  try." 

"Capital!"  said  he,  laughing.  ".When  shall  we 
play  together  ?  " 

"  The  sooner  the  better/7  said  I. 

"Tut!  tut!  So  hot?"  said  he  jocosely.  "Tis 
after  midnight  now.  Shall  we  say  at  six  in  the  morn 
ing,  and  waive  formalities  ?  " 

"Where?" 

"  Up  in  the  fields  by  Corlear's  Hook.  Have  ye  a 
friend  in  the  town  ?  " 

"  I  have,  and  we  will  be  ready  at  six." 

He  laughed  again  and  walked  jauntily  off,  saying: 

"  So,  man,  you  carry  it  well  for  a  civilian.  Go  now 
and  say  your  prayers !  " 


CHAPTER   XIX 

HOW   ONE    MAY   MAKE   FRIENDS   WITH   THE 
ENEMY 

WHEN  I  got  back  to  Mrs.  Hodges'  I  found 
our  room  empty.     It  was  then  near  upon 
one  o'clock  at  night,  and  what  might  have 
taken  Acton  forth  I  did  not  know.    And  so  I  sat  me 
down  to  wait  his  coming. 

My  thoughts  were  none  of  the  brightest,  and  our 
case  was  hourly  becoming  more  serious.  And  yet  the 
thought  of  that  touch  of  a  small  slipper  was  more 
than  enough  to  overbalance  the  danger  of  our  situa 
tion  and  the  chance  of  the  wrecking  of  everything  in 
the  perhaps  foolish  duel  I  had  brought  on  my  own 
shoulders. 

So  they  had  set  a  marriage  for  her,  —  her  father, 
and,  I  M  be  sworn,  the  old  aristocratic  witch,  too,  if 
truth  were  known!  The  thought  of  it  made  me  get 
up  and  walk  around  the  room.  Indeed,  I  had  not 
known  it  till  then,  till  I  heard  of  this  danger  to  her, 
but  't  was  true !  I  could  not  live  my  life  without  her. 
I  could  not  see  a  future  without  that  face  by  me,  be 
longing  to  me,  to  protect  and  comfort  and  serve  as  I 
would  my  own  life  —  aye,  far  more !  Would  she  have 
told  me  of  her  trouble,  would  she  have  trusted  me 
with  it  and  asked  my  help,  if  she  had  not  cared? 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    217 

Could  she,  I  tried  to  think,  could  she  ask  a  man  to 
save  her  if  she  did  not  think  of  him  more  than  of 
others  ? 

It  could  not  be!  In  spite  of  her  knowledge  of  my 
duty  to  my  country,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  she  be 
longed  to  the  other  side,  in  spite  of  all  the  impossible 
difficulties,  she  trusted  me,  believed  in  me.  Could  she 
love  me?  Aye,  was  it  not  fair  to  suppose  so?  I  got 
up  again  and  shook  the  chair  as  if  it  had  been  the 
hand  of  a  friend.  She  could  not!  She  could  not! 
God  would  not  deceive  a  man  so !  And  if  that  were 
true,  then  let  come  what  would !  I  was  young  and 
strong,  and  I  would  win  her  to  myself.  I  would !  I 
would!  A  man  cannot  be  asked  to  write  down  the 
dark  thoughts  that  will  crop  up  into  his  brain  —  I 
could  think  of  none  but  her!  Let  the  cause  be  what 
it  would,  she  should  be  mine  though  the  soulless  rocks 
and  hills  of  the  land  were  ruled  by  king  or  president ! 
Could  I  not  live  in  joy  and  happiness  all  the  days  of 
my  life  even  in  the  depths  of  hell,  if  she  were  by  my 
side?  And  what  could  it  be  to  me  whether  the  edicts 
came  from  this  side  of  the  water  or  the  other  ?  Noth 
ing!  Nothing!  She  was  my  love,  and  I  cared  little 
of  what  might  become  of  aught  else!  What  did  I 
care  for  Arnold?  He  was  a  wretched  traitor  to  his 
country.  Let  him  live  or  die,  I  cared  not  a  whit! 
What  was  the  fiend  Hazeltine?  Nothing  to  me.  Let 
him  do  his  worst,  live  or  die !  I  had  not  known  it  — 
I  had  not  guessed  it  in  myself  till  this  night.  I  loved 
her!  I  loved  her  because  she  was  beautiful,  because 
of  her  high  and  fearless  look  that  told  of  a  fearless 


2i8    *   NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

heart.  She  would  do  what  she  would;  let  no  man 
guess  otherwise.  I  loved  her  because  of  her  own  dear 
self  as  she  sat  in  that  little  gown  with  her  arms  and 
throat  shaming  the  whiteness  of  the  cloth  beneath  the 
glasses,  and  with  God's  good  help  she  should  know 
it  soon !  —  and  Acton  came  in  and  sat  down  and 
looked  at  me. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  here,  friend  ?  "  asked  he. 

"  But  a  moment." 

"  Has  aught  happened  ?  Any  one  come  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Then  there  will  be  one  here  soon.  They  're  hunt 
ing  us  close,"  said  he,  coolly. 

"  I  care  not  a  tinker's  dam." 

"  What  ails  thee,  man  ?  "  asked  he,  leaning  forward 
in  his  chair  and  looking  at  me  closely. 

"  Nothing." 

"  Well,  let 's  to  bed.  There  's  much  to  do  to-morrow. 
We  must  take  the  boards  from  Arnold's  fence  by  the 
water  to-morrow  evening." 

"  I  do  not  know  that  we  can." 

He  turned  quickly  on  me,  looking  at  me  with  his 
great  honest  blue  eyes,  and  then,  walking  up  to  me, 
he  put  his  two  big  hands  on  my  shoulders,  towering 
over  me,  and  said  again: 

"What  ails  thee,  man?" 

"  Nothing." 

"  Merton,"  said  he,  in  his  boyish  way,  "  do  ye  for 
get,  man,  that  there 's  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands 
of  our  men's  lives  depending  on  the  capture  of  this 
Hazeltine?" 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *    219 

"  I  do  not  much  care." 

He  stood  looking  at  me  in  wonder  for  a  moment, 
and  then,  gripping  me  with  his  strong  hands,  he  said : 

"  I  do  not  know  thee,  Merton !  What  would  Rob 
Curtis  say  to  thy  mood?  Hast  forgotten  thy  honour 
and  let  it  sleep?  Wake  up,  friend,  and  remember  the 
trust  the  great  Washington  has  put  in  you !  I  do  not 
know  all  you  have  to  do.  You  have  not  told  me.  But 
what  Js  to  be  done  must  be  done  quickly,  or  you  and 
I  and  Curtis  will  be  dead  and  nothing  done." 

"  I  am  a  crazy  fool,"  I  muttered. 

"  That  ye  are  not,  Merton,"  said  he  with  a  kindly 
smile.  "  But  something  has  happened,  and  you  shall 
tell  me." 

And  he  sat  me  down  and  drew  out  of  me  the  lie  I 
gave  Atherton  over  the  wine,  and  the  sequel  that  was 
coming  in  the  morning  at  six.  At  that  he  laughed  a 
free  laugh,  and  cried: 

"  Why,  man,  I  Ve  seen  ye  in  worse  places  than  that 
and  never  knew  you  to  take  on  so.  Is  he  so  marvel 
lous  a  sword?" 

I  could  not  tell  him  the  truth,  and  thought  best  to 
let  him  think  so,  and  he  thereupon  began  to  talk  to 
me  in  an  embarrassed  fashion,  telling  me  I  had  too 
good  a  hand  to  lose  in  such  a  child's  play,  and  more 
and  more,  till  I  must  needs  smile  at  his  ill-concealed 
desire  to  bring  me  out  of  my  supposed  dread  or  fear 
to  meet  this  man.  And  so  we  talked  softly  together 
through  the  night  as  men  'talk  but  seldom  in  a  life 
time,  as  no  one  could  write  down  on  paper,  of  home 
and  friendship  and  chivalry  to  one's  God  and  one's 


220   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

commander.  And  I  learned  in  those  few  hours  some 
thing  of  the  soul  of  a  great  honest  man,  awkward 
when  he  got  upon  such  subjects,  but  with  as  high  a 
view  of  life  and  honour  and  the  love  of  good  women 
as  it  has  pleased  God  to  let  me  hear  from  the  lips  of 
any  one,  or  see  in  the  eyes  of  any  human  being,  save 
only  one,  and  that,  Heaven  be  thanked,  no  man !  And 
in  those  few  hours  cropped  up  a  friendship  of  man  to 
man  between  us  two  that  through  many  a  trial  has 
lasted  on  to  this  day,  and  will  till  the  death  of  us 
both,  and  after. 

And  so  it  came  to  five  in  the  morning,  a  sultry 
autumn  morning,  still  dark  when  we  went  down 
Beaver  Street  and  through  Princess  to  Queen  Street, 
and  thence  down  Cherry  Street  to  the  shipyards  by 
the  breastworks  at  Rutgers,  and  to  the  hill  and  fields 
at  Corlear's  Hook.  We  had  not  gauged  the  distance 
well  and  were  a  bit  late  in  arriving,  so  that  it  was 
striking  six  in  the  barracks  hard  by  when  we  came 
into  the  fields  above  the  tide  that  flows  between  Long 
Island  and  Manhattan.  The  place  was  rolling  coun 
try  dotted  with  trees  and  undergrowth,  and  I  had 
begun  to  think  we  should  not  find  the  others  when  I 
heard  a  hail  and  saw  the  party  in  a  small  hollow  below 
us  and  nearer  the  river.  There  was  a  soft  mist  hang 
ing  in  the  bottom  like  that  of  an  August  morning,  and 
we  could  make  out  half  a  dozen  figures  looming  up 
as  we  came  down  to  them. 

"  Here  they  are  at  last,"  said  a  voice  that  made 
me  start,  for  I  recognised  it  as  that  of  Dr.  Low,  the 
chirurgeon,  who  had  laid  out  with  me  not  twenty- 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    221 

four  hours  before  the  plan  of  abducting  Arnold.  Then 
stepped  up  Prince  Henry,  Major  Sproat,  and  Lieu 
tenant  Purdy,  and  last  came  Captain  Atherton. 

"We  have  come  to  see  fair  play  done,  sir,"  said  the 
young  Prince.  "  And  to  be  in  sufficient  force  to  pre 
vent  any  interruption  from  the  authorities,  should 
such  occur.  You  know  all  here  but  Dr.  Low,  I 
think." 

"What  name  was  it?"  asked  the  doctor,  shaking 
hands  in  a  business-like  way,  as  if  he  saw  me  for  the 
first  time. 

"  Mr.  Merton  and  Mr.  Roberts,"  said  Major  Sproat, 
presenting  us. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  if  you  insist  on  this,  't  is  time 
't  was  over,"  said  Low,  and  the  major  and  Acton  then 
measured  my  sword  and  Atherton's.  Finding  them 
practically  the  same  length,  they  led  us  to  the  bottom 
of  a  hollow  and  into  an  open  bit  surrounded  by  trees, 
and  just  as  the  light  was  fairly  full  grown  for  another 
day  we  were  ready. 

Acton  was  in  his  element.  He  talked  in  an  offhand 
way  with  the  others,  hoped  Atherton  was  a  good  hand, 
as  his  friend  there  was  no  fool,  and  asked : 

"What's  the  rules?" 

"  The  first  serious  draw  of  blood  settles  the  affair, 
Dr.  Low  deciding,"  said  the  Prince,  "  if  you  will 
agree." 

"  My  friend  is  quite  at  your  disposal,  gentlemen," 
said  Acton,  bowing,  while  I  walked  up  and  down  by 
myself.  I  had  had  so  little  time  to  think  on  the  affair 
that  the  serious  nature  of  it  had  not  occurred  to  me, 


222    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

and  now  for  the  first  time  I  began  to  think  of  what 
might  happen  to  myself.  If  a  stroke  found  me  home 
and  did  for  me,  I  did  not  much  care.  But  I  had  a 
horror  of  a  serious  wound  so  that  I  should  live  on 
here  and  fail  in  my  work.  My  death  was  nothing  to 
any  one  but  General  Washington,  and  he  alone  would 
know  of  my  falling  away  from  his  commands. 

"Well,  gentlemen,  is  all  ready?"  said  the  doctor. 

We  stepped  out  and  drew.  The  two  blades  crossed, 
holding  there  for  a  moment  as  each  of  us  took  a  good 
look  at  the  other.  I  was  to  do  as  I  had  done  many 
times  before  in  open  fights  upon  a  skirmish  —  wait 
to  feel  the  strength  of  his  wrist.  He  tried  to  do  the 
same,  but  becoming  irritated  he  made  three  quick 
passes  at  me,  and,  though  his  blade  did  not  leave 
mine  once,  I  knew  I  had  a  strong  hand  that  had  been 
in  a  long  and  a  good  school. 

Just  as  the  third  thrust  came  and  I  parried,  I  swung 
my  point  down,  turned  it  under  his  blade,  and  swayed 
his  point  out  to  the  left  of  me.  It  would  have  been 
my  first  thrust  en  quatre,  had  not  a  voice  cried  out : 

"  Stop  where  you  are,  gentlemen,  in  the  king's 
name!" 

We  both  stopped,  turned,  and  saw  three  men  com 
ing  down  the  slope  above  us.  They  were  in  our  midst 
in  a  moment. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  come  with  the  warrant  for  the  arrest 
of  that  man,"  and  I  took  a  sudden  breath  as  I  saw 
Hazeltine  standing  there  pointing  at  me,  "  and  this 
man  here,"  pointing  to  Acton.  Acton  laughed  in  his 
face. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *    223 

"  What  is  this,  sir  ?  "  cried  Prince  Henry,  walking 
over  to  Hazeltine.  "  Do  you  not  see  you  interrupt  an 
important  matter  ?  " 

"  Your  Highness,  I  am  obliged  to  follow  the  orders 
of  Sir  Henry.  These  men  are  being  searched  for  all 
over  this  town.  It  is  a  matter  of  great  military 
importance." 

"  And  can  you  not  choose  a  better  time,  then  ? " 
asked  the  young  man  in  the  first  tone  of  voice  I  had 
heard  him  use  that  showed  me  he  was  accustomed 
to  issue  rather  than  receive  orders. 

"  I  cannot  do  it,  your  Highness,"  said  Hazeltine, 
doggedly,  and  none  too  politely. 

"  Frank,"  cried  Atherton  at  this,  "  't  is  an  ill-selected 
moment.  What  matters  half  an  hour  ?  " 

"  It  matters  much,"  said  the  other  hotly.  "  They 
must  come  now !  " 

"  Must  ?  "  said  Sproat,  in  a  questioning  tone. 

"  Certainly,   major." 

"  Then,  my  friend,"  said  the  Prince,  quietly,  "  listen 
to  me.  The  military  demands  have  nothing  to  do  with 
this.  We  will  go  on  with  our  affair.  Therefore  leave 
us  alone  and  arrest  your  men  later  as  you  can."  And 
he  started  to  turn  on  his  heel. 

"  I  shall  be  obliged  to  use  force,"  cried  Hazeltine. 
The  young  Prince  turned  about  as  if  the  speaker  had 
touched  a  spring  in  his  mechanism.  But  before  he 
could  speak  Dr.  Low  said  softly: 

"  If  you  attempt  anything  of  the  sort  you  will  simply 
become  our  prisoners!  These  two  gentlemen  have 
come  here  relying  on  our  honour.  They  no  sooner 


224   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

arrive  than  they  are  arrested.  May  it  not  appear  to 
them  that  this  is  an  ambush  ?  " 

"  In  fact,  some  such  thing  might  stray  into  our 
brains,"  said  Acton  blandly. 

"  Therefore,"  said  the  Prince,  "  our  own  honour  is 
here  at  stake,  and  we  will,  with  your  permission,  or  in 
fact  without  it,  continue  our  affair  and  deliver  these 
gentlemen  where  they  came  from  in  safety,  or  my 
name  is  not  Guelph." 

Hazeltine  glared  around  him  for  a  moment  and  put 
his  hand  on  a  pistol,  but  the  movement  started  the 
others,  and  before  he  could  draw,  six  men  surrounded 
his  three  and  stood  ready  for  anything. 

"  'Tis  a  piece  of  treachery  to  your  Highness's  august 
father,"  cried  the  man. 

"  I  '11  look  out  for  that,"  said  the  Prince  haughtily. 

"  You  know  not  what  you  do !  It  will  cost  you 
your  commissions,  gentlemen,  and,  by  God,  I  '11  ,do 
my  duty ! "  And  he  turned  to  his  men  and  pointed 
at  me. 

Atherton  stepped  in  front  of  me,  as  did  the  doctor, 
and  for  an  instant  we  all  thought  a  short  but  serious 
affair  was  beginning.  Sproat  put  his  hand  on  Hazel- 
tine's  shoulder  as  if  to  say  something.  But  the  other 
threw  it  off  fiercely,  and  the  dark  hatred  the  man  bore 
me  showed  in  his  face  as  he  turned  to  me  and  cried : 

"  Have  another  half  hour,  you  fool !  I  '11  see  you 
hanged  before  night,  mark  me  there !  "  and  he  started 
to  move  off. 

"  Stay,  man,"  said  the  doctor.  "  You  must  remain 
till  this  is  over.  And  you  two  men,"  continued  he, 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    225 

"  stand  there  before  Major  Sproat  and  Lieutenant 
Purdy,  and  do  you,  sir,  remain  by  me.  Now,  gentle 
men,  I  think  we  can  begin  again." 

I  had  less  taste  for  it  than  ever,  after  the  quick 
action  of  Atherton  when  he  thought  I  was  to  be  at 
tacked.  But  we  were  soon  at  it,  and  as  I  got  into 
the  work  and  my  head  cooled  down,  the  thought  of 
her  against  whom  this  man's  jest  had  been  directed 
stiffened  my  wrist  and  set  me  hard  at  him. 

He  played  his  rapier  well  after  the  orthodox  fashion 
of  duelling,  and  twice  touched  me,  but  not  through 
the  skin.  Then,  seeing  that  I  stood  on  the  defensive 
still,  he  began  to  grow  red  in  the  face  and  his  eyes  lit 
up  with  anger.  Not  a  sound  came  from  the  others 
as  we  circled  around  one  another,  nor  did  I  say  a  word 
until  he  began  to  press  me  hard,  forward  and  back, 
forward  and  back,  each  time  a  different  stroke.  Then 
I  exclaimed  in  surprise  unconsciously,  for  he  seemed 
to  be  a  new  man.  My  breath  came  hard  and  fast, 
and  I  began  to  take  the  offensive.  Twice,  thrice,  four 
times  he  parried,  and  then  on  a  sudden  on  he  came 
and  I  felt  a  sting  in  my  left  arm  just  at  the  biceps. 

Dr.  Low  called  a  halt,  and  ripped  up  my  sleeve  in 
spite  of  my  cries  that  't  was  nothing. 

"  Leave  me  alone,"  cried  I.  "  Do  you  not  see  't  is 
but  a  scrape?  Come,  sir,  do  not  waste  your  time!" 
And  I  broke  away  and  made  at  him  with  my  temper 
half  gone.  We  went  it  hot  after  that,  nor  do  I  re 
member  anywhere  such  quick  work.  Once  I  was 
down  on  my  knees.  Twice  he  saved  his  life  by  a  pro 
digious  side  jump.  And  then  —  then  I  saw  him  come 

'5 


226    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   v 

at  me  from  below,  his  point  up  and  falling  as  he  rose 
himself. 

'T  was  a  stroke,  a  gasp,  for  I  could  do  naught  but 
strike  his  point  down  and  then  put  all  my  strength 
of  arm,  wrist,  and  body  to  turn  my  blade  under  his. 
I  did  so,  God  knows  how,  but  in  an  instant  I  felt  my 
point  at  his  hilt  and  with  a  wrench  his  rapier  jumped 
twenty  feet  away.  By  the  force  of  the  twist  he  was 
swung  half  round  sideways  to  me,  and,  tripping  over 
his  own  feet,  he  fell  towards  me  —  't  was  all  so  quick 
I  could  not  tell  how  't  happened  —  but  I  suddenly 
felt  my  sword  touch  his  left  side  under  the  arm, 
and  instinctively  I  jumped  back  and  drew  my  blade 
away.  Down  he  went,  flat  on  his  side,  with  one 
foot  twirled  around  the  other,  and  I  stood  waiting 
as  he  got  up. 

The  others  jumped  forward  to  him.  But  he  pushed 
them  hastily  aside  and  strode  up  to  me,  as  I  stood 
there  dazed  and  panting,  and  grasped  my  hand.  Not 
a  word  did  he  say  for  an  instant.  Then,  turning  to 
the  others: 

"  My  friends,  't  is  a  new  thing  for  Atherton  to  do. 
But  you  saw  him!  He  could  have  run  me  through 
by  standing  still,  and  I  say,  by  God,  I  '11  fight  no  more 
with  such  a  man ! "  Then,  turning  to  me,  he  went 
on:  "  Mr.  Merton  I  was  drunk  last  night,  and  what 
I  said  —  " 

"  Not  another  word,  Captain,"  said  I.  "  'T  is  over, 
and,  thank  God,  no  harm  done.  Let  the  thing  die  here 
and  now." 

They  crowded  about  me  and  shook  my  hand,  and 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    227 

said  I  know  not  what  that  I  had  done,  and  quite 
naturally  the  Prince  said: 

"  And  now  to  Fraunce's  Tavern  for  breakfast." 
And,  moving  off,  we  left  Hazeltine  and  his  two  men 
on  the  field  without  a  word.  But  after  passing  the 
shipyards  they  went  on  into  Rutgers  Street,  and  just 
before  we  came  to  Cow  Foot  Hill  the  whole  party, 
Acton  and  I  with  them,  turned  suddenly  into  a  garden 
and  entered  what  I  found  later  was  the  famous  Walton 
Mansion  of  the  Rutgers  family,  where  the  Prince  for 
the  time  lived. 

'T  was  a  magnificent  mansion  with  great  pieces  of 
furniture;  the  banquet  hall  alone  as  large  as  two 
ordinary  dwellings.  We  passed  into  the  hall  and 
through  it  into  a  library,  where  sat  a  table  covered 
with  bottles  and  cold  food,  enough  for  a  hundred,  it 
seemed  to  me.  I  could  not  but  express  my  surprise 
at  this  plenty  and  magnificence  in  the  midst  of  so 
much  poverty  and  scarcity  elsewhere  in  the  city. 

"  Ah,  you  do  not  know  how  we  live,"  cried  Sproat. 
"  For  whole  weeks  we  eat  nothing  but  salt  beef,  and 
then  in  comes  a  foraging  party,  and  the  whole  town 
gorges  for  a  week." 

The  young  Prince  took  the  head  of  the  table  and  all 
set  to  work  in  the  hot,  murky  air,  opening  bottles  and 
dishing  out  the  food.  No  one  waited  on  us,  and  we 
were  indeed  a  jovial  party,  all  there  but  the  doctor, 
who  said  he  must  go,  and  looked  at  me  meaningly  as 
he  added: 

"  Come  to  my  office,  young  man,  when  you  've 
eaten,  and  let  me  dress  your  arm."  Indeed,  what 


228    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

could  be  a  simpler  way  of  completing  my  plan  with 
him  than  by  this  ordinary  appointment.  Strange  that 
I  should  be  sitting  with  these  enemies  of  my  country 
and  yet  growing  to  like  them !  Strange  that  I  should 
be  deceiving  men  that,  whatever  else  they  might  be, 
were  men  of  honour  through  and  through!  Strang 
est  of  all,  that  Atherton  could  not  do  enough  for  me 
since  my  unconscious  saving  of  his  life! 

No  one  referred  to  my  near  arrest,  nor  questioned 
us  as  to  its  cause.  And  Acton  soon  had  them  roar 
ing  with  laughter  with  his  quaint  remarks  and  his 
jovial  songs.  The  only  thing  I  noticed  was  a  man  at 
the  rear  door  and  another  at  the  front  in  the  hall,  both 
standing  motionless  and  evidently  watching  to  guard 
that  we  should  not  be  surprised. 

"  Mr.  Merton,"  cried  the  Prince,  rising,  "  you  are 
a  good  sword  and  a  better  gentleman,  and  I  give  ye 
long  life  and  the  girl  most  to  your  heart ! " 

"  Nay,  nay,  sir,"  cried  I,  for  the  wine  went  to  the 
proper  spot,  and  I  felt  at  least  one  load  off  my  back 
since  the  early  morning,  "  't  is  the  wrong  order.  A 
toast  to  His  Royal  Highness  first ! " 

There  was  a  cry  of  applause.  But  he  would  not 
have  it  so.  And,  I  still  insisting,  we  stood  there, 
glasses  in  hand,  laughing  and  protesting  and  all  talk 
ing  at  once,  till  Acton  in  his  big  voice  roared  that 
't  was  a  shame  to  lose  the  chance  to  drink  the  wine, 
and  Atherton  cried  out: 

"  So  it  is !  Then  I  give  you  them  both !  The  first 
gentleman  of  Europe  and  the  first  gentleman  of  the 
last  hour!" 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *    229 

Out  must  come  another  roar  of  applause,  and  so 
went  the  toast.  And  as  the  major  dipped  out  the 
newly-made  punch  from  a  huge  bowl,  Acton  set  the 
key  for  "  Landlord,  fill  the  flowing  bowl,"  and  we 
roared  out  the  song  into  one  another's  ears,  standing, 
and  with  the  glasses  in  our  hands,  turning  now  to 
one,  now  to  another,  with  the  glasses  clinking,  some 
beating  time  with  the  left  hand,  till  Atherton  began 
a  marching  movement  around  the  table,  and  we  all 
must  needs  fall  into  line,  tramping  round  and  round, 
and  yelling  out  the  brave  old  song  over  and  over 
again.  Finally  we  flopped  down  into  chairs,  and  up 
jumped  Sproat  and  cried: 

"  An'  now,  gentl'm'n,"  and  he  held  up  his  glass, 
"  now,  confus'n  t'  our  en'mies !  Egad !  I  'm  a  bit 
confus'd  mesel,  ho!  ho!  'S  a  joke!  D'ye  see?  'S 
a  joke,  's  I'm  a  sinner!  Ho!  ho!  ha!  ha!" 

"Confus'  'em,  if  ye  like,"  roared  Acton,  "but  they  're 
brave  men,  too !  " 

"  Aye,  so  the'  are !  S'  th'  are !  "  cried  the  Prince, 
banging  his  hand  down  on  the  table  with  a  thump 
and  a  swish  that  sent  half  of  the  bottles  crashing  on 
the  floor.  "  I  've  learned  that  since  I  've  been  here. 
And  we  Britishers  always  want  a  good  en'my.  Eh, 
my  friends,  is  't  not  so,  eh?" 

"  S'  't  is !     So  't  is,  y'ighness !  "  roared  the  crowd. 

"  Confusion  and  good  luck  to  'em !  "  cried  Atherton. 

"  Aye,  good  luck  to  'em !  "  I  cried,  putting  my  glass 
high  above  my  head.  In  a  moment  Atherton  was  on 
the  table,  and  we  standing  round  him  on  the  floor  try 
ing  to  reach  our  glasses  up  to  his. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  — 


"  Good  luck  to  'em/'  cried  the  crowd,  and  down 
went  the  extraordinary  toast  with  no  heel-taps  for  at 
least  two  in  that  jovial  gang. 

As  they  began  another  song  —  those  that  could 
sing  more  —  the  young  Prince  came  round  to  me  and 
said  unsteadily: 

"  Now  's  your  time,  Merton.  Out  by  the  garden, 
and  good  luck  to  ye.  I  don't  know  your  trouble, 
but  you  've  got  no  harm  at  our  hands,"  and  he  held 
out  his  own.  I  thanked  him  and  got  Acton  away 
and  out  into  Cherry  Street  in  the  warm  sun,  and  so 
on  by  Queen  Street  to  our  boarding-house.  There  I 
left  him  singing  snatches  to  himself,  and,  bidding  him 
watch  out  for  himself  and  for  Curtis,  if  he  should 
come,  I  made  my  way  to  Dr.  Low's. 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE   MEETING  BY   THE  VAUXHALL   GARDENS 

THE  shrewd  chirurgeon  no  sooner  saw  me 
than  he  took  me  into  a  little  back  room,  and 
there  we  sat  most  of  the  afternoon,  laying 
out  the  plan  for  Arnold's  abduction.  The  house  at 
No.  3,  which  the  traitor  occupied,  had  a  garden  that 
ran  down  to  the  waters  of  the  Hudson  and  was  sur 
rounded  by  a  high  board  fence.  Low  had  the  whole 
plan,  though  he  could  not  take  active  part,  as  he  must 
be  ready  in  the  future  for  many  such  affairs,  and  had 
thus  to  keep  himself  above  all  chance  of  suspicion. 
It  was  a  wonder  to  me  how  he  had  done  it  so  long,  and 
I  told  him  so,  saying  also  that  I  marvelled  how  I  had 
escaped  arrest. 

1  'T  is  simple  enough,"  said  he.  "  I  do  but  attend 
to  my  work  as  a  physician.  So  I  enter  all  houses,  even 
Clinton's,  at  all  times,  and  I  hear  more  than  any  one 
has  the  least  hint  of.  What  I  do  for  the  cause  is  done 
here,  and  always  a  visitor  has  some  such  reason  as  you 
have  now  for  coming.  If  he  is  arrested,  and  several 
have  been,"  he  continued  with  a  serious  face,  "  I  am 
free,  and  never  yet  has  man  or  woman  betrayed  me  by 
the  slightest  sign.  Your  case  is  not  so  sure,  and  I 
have  to  tell  you  that  your  episode  with  that  man  in  the 


232    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

old  burnt  house  was  a  bad  blunder.  He  is  furious  at 
you  for  that,  or  something  else,  and  were  it  not  that 
his  work  for  Clinton  is  so  secret  that  few  in  this  city 
know  of  it  at  all  —  and  I  only  because  I  was  once 
treating  Clinton  when  he  arrived  and  the  news  of  his 
work  was  out  before  they  realised  it  —  you  would  be 
in  prison  long  ago.  They  must  keep  the  whole  thing 
quiet,  and  no  doubt  they  are  trying  to  find  your  reason 
for  being  here.  Have  more  care  therefore  for  the  rest 
of  this  day  and  night "  —  I  thought  of  my  appoint 
ment  for  nine  —  "  and  do  not  go  out.  I  cannot  help 
you,  if  you  are  taken.  You  will  simply  disappear.  No 
public  arrest,  no  execution,  no  trial  for  you,  man! 
That  was  why  no  force  was  sent  to  arrest  you  this 
morning.  Now  for  the  plan." 

The  plan  was  simple  enough.  An  opening  had  al 
ready  been  made  in  the  high  board  fence  by  the  water. 
The  boards  could  be  taken  out  at  a  moment's  notice. 
We,  Acton,  Curtis,  and  I,  were  to  approach  the  garden 
in  a  boat  with  some  trusty  oarsmen,  proceed  through 
the  hole  in  the  fence,  thence  through  a  window  into 
the  rear  of  the  house,  opened  for  us  by  an  American 
soldier,  who  had  got  himself  employed  by  Arnold  on 
the  ground  of  desertion  from  our  lines.  Arnold  him 
self  was  to  be  taken  out  of  his  bed,  gagged,  put  into  a 
huge  bag  and  carried  out  to  the  boat.  Thence  to 
Paulus'  Hook  across  the  river,  and  into  our  lines. 

'T  was  a  simple  plan  and  one  that  would  have 
worked  as  it  has  worked  before,  but  for  fatality,  that 
has  more  to  do  with  making  history  than  thousands  of 
great  minds. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *   233 

And  so  at  dusk  I  left  Low  with  a  long  shake  of 
the  hand  and  walked  slowly  and  carefully  through  the 
little  streets  so  muddy  and  narrow,  so  foul  with  the 
smell  of  the  burnt  houses  and  soaked  refuse  that  it 
sickened  one  in  those  strangely  hot  and  heavy  days. 
Low  lived  hard  by  the  corner  of  Princess  and  Broad 
Streets,  and  directly  opposite  the  waste  of  ruins  that 
no  hand  had  touched  since  three  years  before.  There 
in  the  hovels,  for  they  were  nothing  better,  burrowed 
out  of  half-ruined  houses,  lived  the  scum  of  the  great 
town  —  the  poor  wretches  who  scarcely  live,  the  har 
lots  of  the  city  —  and  there  were  thousands  of  them, 
as  there  are  in  the  rear  of  any  great  camp  —  who 
beset  you  as  you  strode  along  the  narrow,  crooked, 
filthy  streets. 

Thence  I  came  to  Mrs.  Hodges',  and  found  Acton 
just  returned  again  from  the  neighbourhood  of  No.  2 
Broadway,  where  he  had  been  anxiously  watching  for 
Curtis.  I  told  him  that  I  fancied  I  had  a  chance  of 
catching  Hazeltine  from  something  I  had  heard  by 
going  up  to  the  top  of  the  town  —  the  more  shame  to 
me  again  that  I  looked  into  his  blue  eyes  and  told  him 
the  story  —  but  I  cannot  help  it,  nor  could  I  then! 
'T  was  an  affair  of  my  own  and  another,  and  I  could 
not  share  it  with  him.  So  that  he  agreed  to  wait  for 
Curtis  till  ten  o'clock,  bringing  him  on  with  him ;  but 
if  he  did  not  come  then,  to  follow  me  himself  to  Vaux- 
hall  Gardens,  for  I  told  him  the  place.  I,  in  turn,  was 
to  get  back  as  soon  as  possible  to  his  place  in  an  angle 
of  two  houses  where  we  watched  for  our  anxiously 
expected  friend. 


234    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

I  set  out  and  wandered  along  Broadway  to  Vesey 
Street,  and  thence  down  that  muddy  and  unkempt 
thoroughfare  among  the  burnt  houses  up  Barclay 
Street  to  the  college,  now  a  prison,  and  thence  by 
Chambers  Street  to  Vauxhall  Gardens.  There  I 
stopped  and  looked  about.  It  must  be  near  nine,  and 
she  had  selected  as  deserted  a  spot  as  could  be  well 
found  around  the  city.  Beyond  the  gardens  all  was 
wilderness  and  trees  and  muddy  roads,  and  a  nasty 
mist  hung  over  everything,  that  made  my  clothes  limp 
and  wet. 

Not  a  soul  appeared  to  be  anywhere  in  sight  or  hear 
ing,  and  so  I  walked  slowly  on  by  the  side  of  the  road 
looking  for  the  four  trees,  fearing  every  minute  lest 
I  miss  them.  Suddenly  I  heard  a  clock  somewhere 
ring  out  nine,  and  just  ahead  a  figure  stepped  out 
into  the  road.  I  dropped  into  the  underbrush  and 
looked  long  at  it,  but  could  not  make  the  mistake  of 
forgetting  that  quick  nervous  movement  of  head  and 
limbs  I  had  grown  to  know  so  well. 

It  was  she  fast  enough,  and  my  heart  beat  a  tattoo 
to  think  I  was  so  near  her  in  such  a  spot,  and  that  she 
had  such  faith  in  me  as  this.  Her  sorrow  must  indeed 
be  a  terrible  one.  As  I  stepped  out  into  the  road  she 
made  a  quick  movement  to  disappear  and  then  came 
towards  me  slowly. 

"  You  have  come,"  said  she,  under  her  breath. 
"  This  way."  And  soon  we  were  off  the  road  a  hun 
dred  yards  and  under  the  gloom  of  four  great  trees 
standing  close  together.  "  I  know  not  what  I  am  do 
ing,"  said  she,  nervously,  "  if  you  should  be  found  here, 
't  would  be  your  ruin." 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v    235 

"  Would  you  grieve  for  that  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Would  a  wife  grieve  for  her  husband  ? "  asked 
she  gently. 

I  took  her  hand. 

"  Would  you  grieve  sorely,  sorely  for  me,  Deb 
orah  ?  "  I  whispered. 

"  Tut,  tut,  sir/'  said  she  in  the  same  tone,  drawing 
her  hand  away.  "  We  are  not  come  to  a  tryst  here." 

"  Ah !  but  now  that  we  are  here,  will  you  not  let  me 
tell  you  somewhat  of  that  which  has  been  in  my  mind 
all  day,  since  the  dinner,  aye !  since  many  a  day  now  ?  " 
And  I  took  her  hand  again. 

"  That  I  will  not,  sir,  nor  will  I  permit  you  to  press 
the  nails  out  of  my  ringers,  —  if  you  will  be  so  kind  as 
to  let  my  hand  keep  its  shape."  And  yet  she  did  not 
seem  so  angry. 

"Its  shape!  Why,  God  bless  it,  I  would  no 
more  —  " 

"  Oh,"  cried  she  softly,  and  tried  to  draw  it  away, 
"  oh,  God  bless  it,  you  say,  and  still  it  is  by  now  but  a 
shapeless  pulp,  I  '11  be  sworn." 

I  lifted  it  to  my  lips  once,  twice,  three  times  and  then 
't  was  gone  under  her  black  cape  where  I  dared  not 
follow. 

"  No,  no,  Merton,"  she  hurried  on.  "  This  is  no 
time  for  such  things.  You  said  you  would  help  me, 
and  he  will  soon  be  here." 

"Will  he  come?"  I  asked. 

"Never  fear," she  answered  with  a  strange, sad  smile. 

"Then  tell  me  quickly." 

"  I  do  not  know  how.    My  father  is  not  over  zealous 


236    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   ¥ 

for  the  king's  cause.  Yet  he  is  not  disloyal  to  Sir 
Henry  in  any  way.  But  I  have  a  dear  brother  some 
where  on  the  other  side  and  we  are  all  suspected,  and 
Pendleton,  my  own  cousin,  is  very  powerful  with  Sir 
Henry.  And  —  and  do  you  not  see,  you  stupid  ?  " 

"  And  he  tells  Clinton  your  father  is  a  traitor  if 
you  do  not  smile  on  him,  and  that  he  is  a  staunch 
follower  of  George  the  —  of  the  king,  if  you  listen  to 
his  suit?" 

"  Ah !  that  is  but  the  half,  the  little  half !  "  said  she, 
her  eyes  glistening  in  the  growing  moonlight.  "  Do 
you  not  see  he  holds  it  over  me  day  by  day  and  will 
not  let  me  rest?  And  there  is  something  he  has  to  tell 
of  papa  —  " 

"  The  blackmailer !  "  I  muttered. 

"  What,  I  know  not,  but  I  fear  day  and  night  —  I 
fear  always  —  and  papa  must  fear,  too,  and  he  does 
not  understand  why  I  cannot  save  us  all  by  doing  this 
dreadful  thing,  and  Aunt  Mary  — " 

"  What,  the  old  —  er,  that  is  —  Madam  De  Lancy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  she  is  nearly  beside  herself,  for  she  thinks 
it  a  good  match  according  to  her  ideas.  In  fact,"  she 
added  with  the  quaint  suspicion  of  a  smile,  "  in  fact, 
she  does  not  think  it  wise  to  marry  out  of  the  family. 
No  other  equals  it,  you  see." 

"  And  he  comes  now  —  " 

"To  settle  the  matter,  he  thinks,"  she  muttered, 
catching  at  her  throat. 

"  Aye,  we  '11  settle  the  matter  —  " 

"  Oh,  what  will  you  do  ?  I  fear  for  this.  I  do  not 
know  why  I  should  have  done  it ! " 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    ¥    237 

"  Why,  dear,  he  cannot  win  you.  You  are  married 
already!" 

She  looked  up  at  me  quickly  with  a  smile  and  put 
her  hand  in  mine. 

"  I  know !  I  know !  "  she  cried,  softly.  "  But  it 
will  count  for  naught,  and  will  now  only  make  him 
furious  and  spur  him  on  to  ruin  us  all." 

I  took  the  hand  in  both  mine  and  we  stood  an  in 
stant,  when  both  started  to  hear  the  sound  of  some  one 
coming  through  the  underbrush. 

"  He  is  here,"  I  whispered.  "  Now,  brave  heart,  go 
out  and  meet  him,  and  let  me  look  at  him  and  hear 
what  he  says." 

She  shuddered  a  moment  and  then,  lifting  her  head 
as  I  had  seen  her  do  so  often  now,  walked  out  into  the 
moonlight.  The  dark  figure  of  a  man  approached  her 
quickly : 

"  Debby,  my  darling,  I  am  here ! " 

Good  God,  that  voice! 

I  fell  back  against  the  tree  an  instant,  and  then  the 
woods  faded  away,  and  with  them  went  Deborah 
Philipse,  her  father,  and  her  crotchety  old  aunt,  and 
I  sprang  out  of  the  shadow  and  rushed  straight  at  his 
chest  and  bore  him  with  a  heavy  concussion  to  the 
ground.  In  an  instant  I  had  him  by  the  throat  and 
turned  him  over  and  got  his  arms  up  by  the  shoulder 
blades  before  he  knew  what  had  struck  him. 

"You  cursed  spy!"  I  cried.  "I  have  you  now! 
Do  but  move,  and  your  work  is  over !  " 

'T  was  but  the  work  of  a  moment  to  take  the  strap 
of  my  sword  belt  and  bind  his  wrists  together.  And 


238    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   ¥ 

by  taking  a  turn  around  his  neck  his  hands  were  se 
curely  bound  between  his  shoulder  blades.  Then  I 
turned  to  her  and  saw  her  standing  by  in  terror  and 
bewilderment,  and  said  what  a  moment  later  I  would 
have  given  both  my  eyes  to  take  back: 

"  Why,  girl,  do  you  know  who  this  is  ?  " 

"  He  is  my  cousin,  Frank  Pendleton,"  she  whis 
pered  with  a  strange  doubt  in  her  voice. 

"  That  he  may  be !  But  he  is  the  foulest  spy  in  the 
British  army,  and  his  name  is  Hazeltine ! " 

Her  change  of  attitude  gave  me  a  sickening  sense 
of  loss.  She  shrank  back  from  me  with  a  cry,  and 
looked  at  me  as  if  her  eyes  would  burn  into  my  soul. 

"You!     You!"  she  cried,  hoarsely. 

"I?    What  of  me?"  said  I,  vaguely. 

"  You  have  led  me  here  to  decoy  him  ?  You  have 
stood  here  and  —  and  —  talked  to  me  so  that  you 
might  do  this  wretched  thing?" 

"I?" 

"  You  coward !  "  she  cried,  bitterly.  "  And  I  — 
what  a  fool  —  what  a  fool  I  was !  "  and  she  sank 
down  on  the  wet  grass  in  a  hysterical  fit  of  tears  and 
laughter. 

But  her  moods  flew  after  one  another  too  fast  to  be 
understood.  She  was  up  in  an  instant. 

"  Come,  Frank,  let  us  go  and  leave  this  —  this 
wretch  to  himself." 

"  But  listen  to  me,  Deborah,  you  do  not  under 
stand— " 

"  Do  not  dare  to  speak  to  me !  What  can  I  fail  to 
understand  ?  " 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    239 

"  But  this  man  is  a  spy  whom  I  am  here  to  —  " 

"  Then,  if  you  would  not  let  what  you  have  said  to 
me  be  a  great  falsehood,  unbind  him  and  let  him  go !  " 

I  looked  at  her  standing  before  me,  waiting  for  my 
reply,  and  groaned  aloud  at  the  misery  of  it.  Then 
she  turned  from  me  with  utter  contempt  and  started 
towards  him  as  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

I  drew  my  pistol,  and  pointing  it  within  two  feet 
of  his  breast  I  said: 

"If  you  move  but  a  step  I  '11  fire !  —  Mistress 
Philipse,  do  not  touch  that  man ! " 

"  So  it  is  true !  it  is  true !  Oh,  you  coward !  You 
coward !  "  and  she  wrung  her  hands  and  her  voice 
broke  down  completely. 

So  we  stood,  misery  in  my  heart  and  gloom  over  all 
the  world  for  me,  when  a  figure  leaped  out  from  the 
underbrush,  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  Curtis  cry  out: 

"  So  you  Ve  got  him !  You  Ve  got  him,  Balfort, 
at  last!  I  should  know  that  cape  and  figure  in  a 
crowded  —  " 

A  piercing  cry  was  his  answer,  and  the  next  mo 
ment  Mistress  Philipse  was  lying  in  his  arms,  crying 
as  if  her  heart  would  break.  I  heard  an  exclamation 
of  surprise  break  from  him  as  he  said  in  sudden  bewil 
derment  : 

"  How  came  you  here,  Debby  ?  What  is  it  ?  Stop, 
and  tell  me  the  trouble." 

"Oh  Rob,  my  dear,  dear  brother,"  she  cried.  "Take 
me  away  from  this  dreadful  place!  Take  me  away! 
and  save  Frank  from  that  man !  " 

I  saw  him  make  a  sudden  movement.     He  stood  a 


24o    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   v 

moment  and  then  set  her  quickly  away  from  him.  A 
stride  brought  him  up  to  Hazeltine,  and  grasping  the 
man  by  the  arm  he  turned  him  around  so  that  they 
stood  face  to  face. 

"  God  in  Heaven !  "  whispered  the  astounded  man 
hoarsely,  as  Hazeltine  stood  looking  him  in  the  face 
without  a  word.  Curtis  gazed  at  him  long  and  stead 
ily,  as  if  he  were  coming  out  of  a  dream.  Then  he 
twirled  Hazeltine  about  again  and  looked  at  his  back 
as  the  man  stood  with  his  long  cape  over  his  shoulders. 
A  moment,  and  the  dazed  man  had  turned  the  other 
face  to  face  again. 

"  Great  God  in  heaven ! "  he  groaned  under  his 
breath. 

"Well,  cousin,  do  you  know  me?"  said  Hazeltine 
with  a  forced  attempt  at  hilarity. 

"  Do  I  know  thee,  thou  foul  spy  ?  Do  I  know  thee  ? 
Aye,  now  I  do !  But  not  till  this  moment  did  I  suspect 
the  fiend  Hazeltine  could  be  my  own  cousin,  Frank 
Pendleton!" 

"  'T  is  a  mistake,  Rob.    You  have  the  wrong  man." 

"  He  lies,  Curtis !  "  I  cried,  "  lies  in  his  teeth !  I  Ve 
followed  him  and  caught  him  now,  and  bound  him, 
and  we  have  but  to  take  him  across  the  river  to  fill 
one  of  the  orders  that  sends  us  here." 

"  Never  fear,  Merton.  I  could  never  mistake  that 
figure.  I  Ve  followed  him  these  three  months,"  and 
I  saw  his  strong  face  set  in  grim  resolution  and  turned 
to  look  at  Mistress  Philipse.  She  was  standing  by  in 
silent  horror  at  what  she  had  heard,  but  as  she  saw  me 
approaching  her  she  ran  to  Curtis. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *    241 

"  My  brother,  will  you  not  protect  me  from  this 
man?" 

"  Why,  Debby  dear,  do  you  not  know  Merton  Bal- 
fort?  What  harm  would  he  do  you?  None,  dear 
sister,  none." 

"  He  has  already !  He  led  me  here  to  decoy  our 
cousin  Frank  to  his  ruin.  And  —  I  —  I  —  "  and  she 
broke  down  completely  again. 

"  'T  is  not  so,  Mistress  Philipse.     I  came  —  " 

"  Do  not  dare  to  address  a  word  to  me,  sir,"  cried 
the  girl,  jumping  from  her  brother's  side  and  stamping 
her  foot.  And  she  was  back  again  sobbing  in  his  arms. 

"  'T  is  a  gross  misunderstanding,  Curtis,"  said  I 
at  my  wits'  ends.  "  You  are  her  brother  ? "  He 
nodded.  "  I  felt  it  long  ago !  I  knew  it,  aye,  knew  it  all 
along!  Yet  did  I  never  understand  it  till  now!  Well, 
then,  I  came  here  to  help  her  in  —  in  another  matter 
—  look  not  at  me  so,  Robert  Curtis !  my  conscience  is 
as  clear  as  a  bell  —  but  when  I  came  here  this  man 
appeared  and  I  knew  him  at  once  for  Hazeltine,  and  no 
more  suspected  his  relationship  to  you  and  to  her  than 
you  did  ten  minutes  ago." 

"  'T  is  a  lie !  "  cried  the  girl,  passionately.  "  A 
gross  —  " 

"  Mistress  Philipse,  I  cannot  answer  you  as  I  would 
a  man.  I  can  but  say  to  you  —  aye,  swear  to  you  — 
that  you  are  wrong.  And  may  God  forgive  you  for 
your  hard  words  and  your  lack  of  faith  in  one  who  — 
who  —  would  watch  over  your  welfare !  " 

"  I  cannot  understand  the  thing,"  muttered  Curtis. 

"  Let  us  get  this  man  away  in  safety,  friend,"  said 
16 


242    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

I.  "  And  then  I  will  explain."  And  I  walked  up  to 
Hazeltine  and  bade  him  precede  me. 

"  'T  is  impossible,"  said  Curtis. 

"  JT  is  what?  "  cried  I,  wheeling  about  at  him. 

"  He  cannot  go  thus  to  the  Commander-in-Chief," 
replied  the  man  with  that  quiet  firmness  and  distinct 
ness  that  always  belonged  to  him.  "  'T  will  be  simply 
an  execution  by  hand." 

"  Aye,  that  it  will,  man,  and  the  sooner  and  simpler 
the  better,"  said  I. 

"It  is  quite  impossible,"  he  repeated  in  the  same 
tone. 

"Robert,  my  friend,  ye  have  lost  your  bearings. 
Do  you  take  your  sister  and  leave  him  to  me,"  and  I 
signed  to  Hazeltine  to  move  towards  the  road. 

"  Merton,  if  you  attempt  to  remove  this  man,  you 
must  first  cross  swords  with  me,"  said  Curtis  in  a  cold 
wiry  voice,  the  more  terrible  in  its  meaning  because 
its  tone  was  not  raised  one  whit  beyond  the  ordinary. 

"What  mean  you,  man?"  asked  I  in  amazement, 
unconsciously  drawing  my  sword  an  inch  or  two.  He 
did  not  move,  but,  folding  his  arms,  said  in  the  same 
cold  voice: 

"  Precisely  what  I  say.  If  you  try  to  remove  him 
you  must  first  overcome  me,  and  whatever  the  result 
of  our  struggle,  there  will  be  more  than  time  for  him 
to  make  good  his  escape."  Then,  turning  to  Hazeltine, 
he  walked  slowly  up  to  within  a  foot  of  him,  with 
folded  arms,  and  said  slowly  and  distinctly  in  that 
same  wiry  voice: 

"  Frank  Pendleton,  you  are  my  own  cousin.    There- 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *    243 

fore  shall  you  not,  if  I  can  prevent  it,  go  to  the  gallows, 
as  God  knows  you  should.  But  I  have  within  this 
hour  learned  that  you  are  the  veriest  traitor  in  this 
land ;  for  you  have  acted  as  spy  to  both  armies  in  this 
war,  and  therefore  shall  you  not  go  from  this  spot  till 
either  I  have  killed  you  or  you  me.  Turn  round." 

"  Do  not  do  it,  Curtis,"  I  cried.  "  T  is  a  foolish 
sense  of  honour,  and  the  man  does  not  belong  to  us." 
But  he  proceeded,  and  soon  Hazeltine's  arms  were 
free. 

Curtis  did  not  even  look  at  me,  but  kept  his  eye  on 
Hazeltine  all  the  time,  only  vouchsafing: 

"  Hold  thy  peace,  Merton !  This  affair  is  between 
only  God,  that  man,  and  me."  And  they  were  at  it 
there  in  the  dim  moonlight  before  he  had  finished 
speaking.  And  a  weird  sight  it  was  to  see  these  two 
men,  one  fighting  to  save  his  life,  knowing  he  must 
cope  afterwards  with  me,  the  other,  cool,  sure,  as  fine 
a  swordsman  as  I  ever  saw,  standing  for  his  honour 
and  crossing  swords  with  his  own  cousin  whom  he 
had  lived  and  played  with  through  all  their  boyhood, 
whom  now  he  detested,  but  would  not  hang.  And 
under  the  dim  blue  light  of  the  moon  a  few  yards 
away  stood  the  girl,  watching  them  with  wide  eyes, 
silently. 

I  hovered  about  them  with  drawn  sword,  resolved 
that,  honour  or  no  honour,  this  man  should  not  escape, 
but  restrained  more  by  my  instinctive  respect  for  Cur- 
tis's  standards  than  by  any  sense  of  chivalry  from  tak 
ing  active  part.  So  in  my  bewilderment  and  with  the 
misery  of  this  episode  in  my  heart  I  did  not  see  till  too 


244    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

late  how  Hazeltine,  as  he  twisted  about,  gradually  ap 
proached  the  big  trees,  nor  guess  his  purpose,  until  on 
a  sudden  .he  made  two  long  lunges  and  then,  turning 
tail  like  any  cur,  darted  in  under  them  and  hidden  by 
the  darkness  made  off.  I  fired  both  my  pistols  at  him, 
but  he  was  gone.  And  then  I  turned  on  Curtis : 

"  Now  you  see  what  your  miserable  honour  has  done 
for  us !  "  I  cried. 

"  What  matter,"  answered  he  coolly.  "  It  but  shows 
him  the  greater  dastard." 

"  But  what  good  does  that  do,  since  your  idiotic 
standard  has  let  the  man  go  ?  'T  will  be  a  fine  reason 
to  give  to  our  general !  And  do  you  perchance  realise 
that  neither  your  life  nor  mine  is  worth  a  penny  from 
now  on  ? " 

"  The  coward !  "  said  Curtis  quietly,  as  he  sheathed 
his  sword.  "  Who  could  have  thought  he  would  so 
run  from  a  fair  fight  ?  Fear  not,  man !  "  he  added 
hastily,  as  I  made  a  gesture  of  disgust,  for  by  that  I 
was  beyond  words.  "  Fear  not !  He  is  not  worth  a 
thought.  When  I  next  meet  him  I  '11  crush  him  like 
a  worm." 

"  I  cannot  understand  you,  man,"  cried  I,  bitterly. 
"  I  cannot  talk  of  it.  Let  us  go,  in  God's  name,  from 
this  place."  And  we  did. 

Mistress  Philipse  would  not  speak  to  me,  nor  look 
at  me.  And  as  I  stepped  to  her  side,  placing  her  be 
tween  her  brother  and  myself,  she  crossed  in  front  of 
him  to  the  farther  side.  In  all  that  walk  back  she 
vouchsafed  not  a  word,  neither  to  me  nor  to  him,  and 
nothing  happened  as  we  walked  on  in  silence,  except 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    245 

that  we  came  upon  Acton  stationed  some  distance  be 
low,  brought  there  by  Curtis  when  he  had  arrived  in 
the  city  and  decided  to  follow  us  at  once,  fearing  an 
ambuscade. 

So  we  came  to  old  St.  Paul's  churchyard,  hard  by 
which  Judge  Philipse  lived,  and  as  Acton  and  I  walked 
on  in  silence,  I  saw  her  cling  to  her  new-found  brother, 
and  heard  her  sob  and  beseech  him  to  stay,  not  to 
leave  her.  And  as  we  passed  out  of  earshot  I  could 
hear  her  crying  softly,  "  Oh  Rob,  Rob  dear,  why  is  it 
all  so  strange  and  wrong,  my  brother  dear ! " 

Soon  he  was  by  us  again,  alone,  with  the  same  cool, 
calm  face,  that  now  to  us,  Acton  and  me,  had  a  deep 
and  dreadful  meaning  in  its  forever  sombre  and  sad 
lines.  Then  we  came  to  lower  Broadway,  and  to  No.  2, 
where  he  bade  us  all  enter ;  for,  he  said,  we  should  be 
found  at  Mrs.  Hodges',  and  the  old  half-ruined  house 
was  now  free  from  suspicion  and  deserted.  There  we 
lay  for  the  rest  of  the  night.  I  could  not  sleep,  for  my 
anger  at  the  man's  escape  soon  faded  before  the 
wretchedness  and  misery  that  fate  and  her  lack  of  be 
lief  in  me  had  brought  upon  me.  I  cared  little  whether 
we  were  taken  or  not,  for  with  this  evening  and  day 
hope  and  promise  of  the  future  died. 

It  was  not  true  love  that  could  doubt  quickly !  And, 
God  forgive  me  for  it,  in  my  hopelessness  I  told  myself 
that  she  was  not  what  I  had  come  to  believe  her.  And 
then,  as  I  looked  back  upon  it,  I  began  to  see  that, 
feeling  as  she  did  against  the  American  cause,  and 
knowing  what  I  was  in  the  city  for,  she  might  well 
think  I  had  taken  advantage  of  her  situation  to  draw 


246    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

my  man.  And  I  put  my  head  in  my  hands,  as  I  sat 
there  in  the  darkness,  and  cried  like  any  baby  for  the 
very  wretchedness  of  it  all,  for  the  loss  of  so  many 
fair  hopes,  for  the  end  of  a  day-dream  that  I  had 
thought  a  reality. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

IN    WHICH    A   WOMAN   DENIES   AND  A   MAN   DIES 

ALL  the  next  day  we  must  of  necessity  lie  close 
in  the  old  rat-hole,  with  one  of  us  always  on 
guard  at  a  window  overlooking  the  street. 
I  tried  to  forget  myself  in  planning  for  the  coming 
night's  work,  and  all  the  time  another  resolution  was 
evolving  in  my  head.  We  laid  the  whole  plan  before 
Curtis,  and  he  approved.  Once  or  twice  he  recurred 
to  the  episode  of  the  evening  before,  but  I  could  not 
discuss  it  with  him.  'T  was  not  in  me  to  believe  that 
his  course  was  right,  yet  in  the  few  weeks  I  had  known 
him  I  had  come  to  believe  in  him  and  his  strong  nature, 
and  I  could  not  but  respect  his  code,  disastrous  as  it 
had  been  to  us. 

"  I  cannot  see  the  right  of  it,  friend,"  said  I  to  him. 
"  Do  not  try  to  show  it  to  me." 

"  I  am  sorry,  Merton,"  he  answered  with  a  serious 
look.  "  But  a  man's  honour  is  greater  than  his  mili 
tary  duty." 

"  Let  us  not  talk  of  it,  man,"  said  I  again.  "  T  is 
but  a  failure  in  my  duty  to  General  Washington,  and 
there  's  an  end  of  it." 

"  Would  you  not  have  done  the  same  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell,  Robert.  I  cannot  judge  you,  God 
knows!  I  can  scarcely  judge  myself  in  this  hour." 


248    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

And  then  we  recurred  to  the  coming  events. 

But  all  the  while  my  resolve  was  growing  in  me. 
The  entrance  to  Arnold's  house  was  set  for  one,  at 
night.  Then  he  would  be  sure  to  be  at  home  and  in 
bed.  All  the  plans  were  arranged,  and  hence  I  would 
go  and  see  her  again  before  I  left  —  as  God  lived,  I 
would  see  her  again !  There  was  to  be  a  sort  of  soiree 
to  the  Prince  at  the  Walton  House,  and  he  had  bid 
me  come,  in  his  offhand,  friendly  way.  I  would  go. 

I  dared  not  tell  my  friends,  for  they  would  have 
held  me  by  force,  if  necessary,  deeming  it  a  danger 
ous  thing  to  expose  myself.  But  this  was  more  to 
me  than  my  own  life  just  now  —  aye,  more  than  the 
success  of  our  mission,  though  I  knew  they  could 
carry  that  out  practically  as  well  without  me,  if  need 
came. 

Thus,  at  ten  of  the  evening,  I  told  them  I  would 
go  to  Low  to  see  that  the  arrangements  were  com 
pleted,  and  despite  their  advice  to  lie  close,  I  went 
out  through  Queen  Street  and  so  to  the  Walton  Man 
sion,  having  first  stopped  at  Mrs.  Hodges'  and  got 
my  tawdry  suit.  There  had  been  a  rumpus  indeed. 
The  maid,  who  was  the  only  person  I  saw,  looked  at 
me  in  terror,  and  ran  away  as  soon  as  she  had  let  me 
in ;  and  in  our  room  there  might  have  passed  a  whirl 
wind  for  the  look  of  it. 

Everything  we  had,  which  was  little  enough,  was 
thrown  about.  The  furniture  was  broken,  and  all  the 
signs  of  what  I  rightly  enough  guessed  must  have 
been  a  military  search  for  ourselves  and  whatever 
papers  we  might  have  had  were  evident.  My  fancy 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    249 

suit  was  picked  up  here  and  there  and  donned.  And 
so  I  entered  the  Walton  Mansion  at  the  front  door. 

It  must  have  been  eleven  of  the  clock,  and  the  affair 
was  as  its  height.  The  beautiful  rooms  on  either  side 
the  great  hall  were  crowded  with  guests,  and  I  soon 
found  the  Prince  standing  to  receive  them.  He  looked 
at  me  and  welcomed  me  with  a  polite  bow,  but  a  sur 
prised  look,  as  if  to  say,  "  Ha !  my  man,  and  so  you 
will  still  be  out  in  public ! "  and  then  I  passed  on, 
searching  always  but  for  one.  My  figure,  my  face, 
must  have  told  some  strange  story;  for  people  who 
knew  nothing  of  me  turned  and  looked  after  me  and 
spoke  together  softly.  But  I  only  saw  it  as  in  a 
dream.  On  I  went  through  the  rooms,  looking  for 
but  one,  and  not  finding  her. 

Thus  I  came  to  the  banquet  hall,  and  to  the  little 
study  beyond,  where  we  had  breakfasted  the  day  be 
fore.  And  there  I  found  her. 

She  was  standing  just  inside  the  big  hall  with  her 
back  to  me  talking  with  some  two  or  three  people, 
her  arm  resting  on  that  of  a  young  officer  whom  I 
had  not  seen  before.  I  stopped  a  moment,  and  then 
passing  behind  some  large  screens,  set  there  to  hide 
serving-tables  at  the  corner  of  the  room,  I  stood  a 
moment  to  catch  my  wind,  which  seemed  to  strangely 
fail  me  on  the  moment,  as  if  I  had  been  running  long 
and  hard. 

A  moment  there  and  I  stepped  out  within  a  yard 
of  her,  still  with  her  back  to  me.  Again  something 
in  my  face  must  have  shown,  for  a  lady  who  was 
talking  with  her,  and  thus  facing  me,  looked  up,  and 


250    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

her  face  changed,  so  that  Mistress  Philipse  turned 
to  learn  the  cause. 

She  saw  me.  I  looked  at  her  a  moment  and  then 
stepped  forward  to  greet  her.  Heaven  forgive  her! 
On  the  instant  she  looked  straight  at  me,  straight 
through  me,  and  said  in  a  cold,  haughty  voice  to  her 
companion : 

"  Captain,  I  feel  a  sudden  cold  draught.  Let  us 
move  on." 

And  she  turned  her  back  on  me  and  walked  slowly 
away. 

I  put  my  hand  to  my  eyes,  and  stood  so  a  moment. 
Then  the  need  of  the  open  air  came  to  me,  and  I 
stepped  back  behind  the  screen  and  leaned  far  out  of 
an  open  window,  trying  vainly  to  loose  the  collar  of 
my  shirt.  So  sitting,  or  rather  leaning  from  the  win 
dow,  I  stood,  how  long  no  one  —  least  of  all  I  — 
could  tell,  neither  thinking  nor  conscious  of  pain,  till 
I  heard  a  strident  voice  back  of  me  on  the  other  side 
of  the  screen  saying  in  an  evident  attempt  at  a  low 
tone: 

"Yes,  'tis  just  settled.  Habberton  is  to  take  his 
brigade  with  Barnard's  and  board  ship  on  Sunday. 
A  battery  will  go  ahead  on  Saturday  night,  and 
they  should  be  in  Huntington  Harbour  by  Monday 
evening." 

"  How  many  men,  Sir  Henry  ?  " 

"  Five  thousand  all  told." 

"  And  when  will  the  attack  begin  ?  " 

"  As  soon  as  they  can  reach  Newport  Harbour. 
And  you  will  take  with  you  a  force  sufficient  to  —  " 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    251 

And  I  heard  no  more,  for  they  had  moved  on. 

Five  thousand  men  —  Huntingdon  Harbour  —  New 
port  !  'T  was  the  attack  finally  settled  on.  Sunday ! 
't  was  Monday  night  now.  Aye,  Sir  Henry,  I  had 
by  the  greatest  chance  learned  the  one  thing  I  should 
have  learned  long  ago,  and  I  cleared  the  sill  at  a 
bound  and  went  out  of  the  garden  to  Cherry  Street, 
as  I  had  done  but  yesterday  morning. 

Walking  by  the  lower  part  of  the  town  and  up 
through  Beaver  Street,  so  I  came  to  our  abode  and 
told  my  friends  the  great  news.  And  then  I  went  off 
to  a  back  window  and  sat  by  myself,  looking  out 
upon  the  night  black  with  heavy  clouds  to  add  to  its 
blackness,  but  as  light  as  day  compared  with  my 
heart  and  thoughts.  And  so  they  found  me  when  it 
came  time  for  us  to  leave,  and  I  went  with  them, 
longing  for  something  such  as  this  desperate  attempt 
to  cool  my  blood  and  clear  my  mind. 

How  could  she  do  it!  Might  she  not  have  had  a 
better  faith  in  me?  Nay,  there  was  something  wrong 
with  the  world,  if  a  woman  who  had  looked  into  my 
eyes  and  seen  what  she  must  have  seen  there  could 
lose  her  faith  so  wholly.  How  could  she  do  it! 

We  came  to  the  lane  running  down  to  the  water 
by  Arnold's  house  and  found  our  boat  and  boatmen 
so  hid  beneath  the  bank  that  it  was  no  easy  matter 
to  find  them,  though  we  knew  well  they  must  be 
there. 

Curtis,  as  seemed  always  natural,  took  the  com 
mand,  and  in  a  few  moments  we  had  loosened  the 
boards  and  were  up  through  the  garden  to  the  house 


252    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

and  to  the  window.  It  stood  open,  and  Curtis  was 
half  way  in  when  he  leaned  back  and  stood  looking 
at  our  man,  who  had  entered  the  household  as  a  mili 
tary  servant  to  do  the  work  there  for  us. 

"  What  is  it,  man  ?  "  asked  I  in  a  whisper. 

"Gone!"  said  he. 

"  Gone  ?  "  we  cried  together. 

"  Aye !  I  have  been  searching  for  ye  all  the  night, 
but  could  not  find  ye  anywhere.  Ye  were  not  at  your 
place  in  Mrs.  Hodges'.  Ye  were  nowhere  in  the 
streets.  I  could  not  find  ye  at  all ! " 

"  But  speak  up,  my  man,"  said  Curtis.  "  What 
mean  you  ?  " 

"  He  's  ordered  to  a  command  on  the  Long  Island 
shore  and  gone  there." 

"When?" 

"  Late  this  afternoon,  just  at  dark." 

I  laughed  for  the  very  absurdity  and  wretchedness 
of  it.  'Twas  the  last  straw,  and  our  whole  work  and 
mission  was  gone!  The  others  stood  inactive  on  the 
news  of  it,  and  just  then  came  one  of  the  crew  run 
ning  up  from  the  boat. 

"  Quick,  Lieutenant,"  he  cried,  under  his  breath, 
to  me.  "  Quick,  they  're  on  us !  "  And  we  distinctly 
heard  a  cry  down  by  the  shore: 

"  There  they  are !    Pull,  men,  pull !  " 

I  was  down  the  garden  path  in  an  instant,  Acton 
close  on  to  me,  Curtis  following  leisurely.  And  as 
we  came  to  the  shore  and  leaped  into  the  boat  there 
came  another  large  barge  with  half  a  dozen  or  may 
hap  eight  men  pulling  towards  us.  Standing  in  the 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    253 

bow  was  a  man  hailing  us  in  the  voice  of  Hazeltine, 
for  I  call  him  by  that  name  still,  as  so  I  knew  him. 

"  Who  are  you  here  at  this  time  o'  night  ?  " 

"  Frank,"  said  Curtis,  before  I  could  speak,  "  Frank, 
take  yourself  and  your  men  away,  as  you  love  your 
life !  "  And  his  voice  rasped  out  the  words,  as  if  they 
would  cut  the  night  air. 

"  Oho !  cousin,  I  have  you  all  three,"  cried  he. 
"  Row  on,  men,  hard !  Into  them !  Into  them !  " 

The  next  moment  they  struck  us,  and  after  a  pistol 
shot  or  two  that  hit  no  one  a  fierce  hand-to-hand  fight 
began  across  the  gunwales  of  the  two  boats.  They 
were  two  more  than  we,  but  with  the  exception  of 
Hazeltine  himself  the  others  were  sailors.  We  were, 
therefore,  the  better  swords,  and  there  in  the  dark 
ness  the  mix-up  was  complete  at  first  and  no  one  ut 
tered  word  or  cry,  till  down  in  the  stern  of  the  now 
locked  boats  came  a  groan,  and  one  of  our  pursuers 
sank  into  his  seat. 

Acton  was  furthest  aft,  Curtis  next  and  I  in  the 
bow,  so  that  Hazeltine  and  I  came  together. 

"  You  cur,  you !  "  cried  the  man.  "  I  have  you 
at  last !  "  and  he  made  a  thrust  at  me  with  such  force 
that,  parry  it  as  I  did,  the  defence  alone  was  like  to 
have  knocked  me  overboard  on  the  other  side.  I  re 
turned  the  thrust,  and  we  fought  there  without  science 
or  attempt  at  skill,  but  as  boys  would  fight  with  broom 
sticks,  crazy  with  anger.  So  close  were  we  together 
that  there  was  no  room  to  move  and  thrust,  and  on 
the  instant  as  he  parried  a  blow  of  mine  I  felt  my  point 
enter  something  soft,  and,  hearing  a  groan  near  by,  I 


254    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    ¥ 

pulled  the  rapier  back  and  saw  the  next  man  fall. 
Hazeltine  had  saved  himself  and  killed  the  man  next 
him  by  parrying  the  stroke. 

At  that  he  began  to  curse  me  for  a  clumsy  lout, 
using  all  the  foul  language  of  which  he  must  have 
been  a  good  master,  and  in  between  his  cries  I  could 
hear  Acton  talking  to  his  opponents : 

"  So !  another  gone  below !  "  cried  that  indomitable 
spirit,  as  he  turned  to  the  next.  "  Ah !  one  of  ours !  " 
as  a  fierce  scream  and  the  jarring  of  our  boat  told  me 
one  of  our  men  was  gone. 

Curtis  said  not  a  word,  but,  his  man  having  fallen 
by  my  chance  stroke,  he  turned  quietly  to  the  next. 
None  of  this  could  I  see,  but  I  knew  as  if  by  divina 
tion  without  the  use  of  eyes,  for  my  game  was  near 
up  more  than  once.  The  man  fought  with  far  more 
energy  than  he  would  for  his  cause.  He  hated  me, 
and  hammered  at  me  in  a  frenzy,  crying  out  that  I 
was  a  coward,  and  a  traitor,  and  a  spy,  and  what  not, 
yelling,  "  There !  there ! "  each  time  he  struck  at  me. 

So  the  cries  and  the  noise  of  the  fight  raged  on 
close  by  the  shore  till  some  one  falling  in  our  boat 
tipped  it  sideways,  and  the  two  barges  slipped  a  foot 
or  more  apart.  And  that  foul  fiend,  seeing  us  likely 
to  move  off,  gave  a  savage  growl  that  I  should  not 
escape  him,  and,  leaping  on  the  gunwale  of  his  boat, 
made  a  desperate  thrust  at  me. 

I  saw  it  coming,  and  knew  't  would  reach  its  mark. 
Aye,  it  did  so,  and  scraped  along  the  ribs  of  my  right 
side  as  if  some  one  had  gripped  me  with  the  clamps 
of  a  red-hot  iron.  I  lost  my  grip  on  the  sword  and 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   v    255 

it  fell  into  the  water  just  as  the  other  boat,  weighted 
by  Hazeltine's  body  on  the  gunwale,  turned  over  and 
tipped  the  whole  crew,  the  dead,  the  dying,  and  the 
living  into  the  shallow  water. 

The  pain  I  felt,  the  despair  that  was  in  me  long 
before  I  came  to  this  encounter,  set  me  doubly  against 
this  man  who  had  been  the  cause  of  it,  and  I  leaped 
down  into  the  water  and  grappled  with  him  there  as 
he  stood  up.  No  words  were  necessary  now.  We 
knew  that,  whatever  the  others  might  do,  this  was 
the  end,  and  neither  would  let  go  his  hold  until  one 
of  us  was  dead. 

He  was  a  powerful  man,  and  though  I  had  him  by 
the  throat  he  caught  me  by  the  waist,  and,  putting 
his  foot  behind  me,  tripped  me  up  and  we  fell  under 
the  water  between  the  upright  and  empty  boats  —  he 
on  top,  I  underneath.  And  there  in  this  two-foot 
depth  of  water  we  struggled  and  kicked  and  grappled 
with  one  another  for  all  eternity. 

Lying  on  my  back  under  the  water,  there  came  a 
thumping  in  my  ears  and  my  veins  began  to  swell. 
I  had  no  thought  nor  fear  of  death,  nothing  went 
into  my  mind  but  a  sense  that  I  must  not  open  my 
mouth,  and  then,  with  a  wrench  and  a  struggle  that  I 
knew  must  be  the  last,  I  caught  him  under  one  arm  and 
over  his  neck.  'T  is  an  old  wrestler's  hold,  and  with 
the  strength  of  all  my  body  and  all  the  good  years  of 
health  and  training,  I  bent  his  head  down  and  his  shoul 
ders  up  till  he  weakened  his  hold  on  me  to  save  his  neck. 

Then  in  an  instant  over  he  rolled  under  the  water, 
struggling,  kicking,  gurgling,  and  I  —  I  opened  my 


256    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

lips  and  took  in  a  prodigious  gust  of  air,  and  then 
closed  my  fingers  on  his  throat  and  put  one  knee  on 
his  chest,  digging  the  other  foot  into  the  mud  be 
tween  his  legs. 

I  cannot  think  of  it  even  now,  long  years  after, 
without  the  sweat  running  down  my  spine.  'T  was 
frightful  then.  'T  is  so  now.  For  soon  bubbles  crept 
up  to  the  surface  and  burst  beneath  my  nose,  and  a 
horrible  gurgling  sound  came  up  as  if  from  the  depths 
of  hell  out  of  the  water.  And  still  I  held  him  there, 
working  my  frenzied  fingers  into  his  throat,  till  his 
grip  began  to  weaken  and  the  bubbles  came  not  so 
fast.  And  still  I  thrust  my  fingers  into  his  flesh  and 
held  my  knees  hard  upon  his  chest.  And  his  hold 
relaxed  the  more. 

Then,  of  a  sudden,  a  horror  seized  me  of  the  thing 
lying  there  beneath  the  water,  which  I  could  not  see 
but  could  feel  warm  and  soft  under  me!  I  can  feel 
it  now,  and  have  for  thirty  years,  and  shall  for  as 
long  as  I  can  feel  anything  in  this  body  of  mine  —  a 
horror  I  could  no  more  control  than  I  could  the  tides 
—  and  jumped  to  my  feet  and  lifted  the  shapeless 
mass  and  pitched  it  into  the  boat  as  she  pushed  her 
nose  into  me  and  Curtis  cried  out: 

"  Quick,  man,  the  guard !  quick  for  your  life ! " 

"  And  what  think  you,  man,  I  care  for  life  ?  "  said 
I,  as  I  saw  dark  figures  moving  down  the  lane. 

Then  I  gave  the  boat  all  the  strength  I  had,  and 
sent  her  far  out  into  the  stream,  calling: 

"  Remember,  Curtis,  dead  or  alive !  dead  or  alive ! 
he  goes  to  Washington.  Remember,  man!  remember 
as  you  love  God,  remember ! " 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    257 

And  I  was  down  in  the  shoal  water  crawling  along 
the  shore  with  nothing  but  my  nose  above  the  surface. 

After  a  few  yards  I  looked  out  and  saw  the  boat 
far  off  towards  Paulus'  Hook  and  heard  the  crack 
of  a  dozen  rifles  near  by  fired  by  men  who  stood 
knee  deep  in  the  water.  So  I  crawled  on  perhaps 
a  hundred  yards,  and  then,  growing  faint,  and  not 
caring  much  what  might  come  of  it,  I  crawled  out 
on  the  shore  and  lay  down  in  the  mud  and  tried  to 
breathe  again.  But  the  horror  of  something,  I  know 
not  what,  was  with  me  and  I  shrivelled  myself  up 
setting  my  head  close  to  my  knees  and  holding  my 
ankles  as  I  lay  there  on  one  side.  And  I  shut  my 
eyes  for  fear  I  should  see  something  and  opened  them 
again  for  fear  that  the  unknown  thing  should  clutch 
me.  'T  was  a  terror  of  something  horrid,  unnamable, 
unseeable,  that  gripped  me,  and  I  cried  out  with  it. 

"T  was  but  a  moment  when  I  was  seized  again 
with  terror  at  the  sound  of  my  own  voice,  and  a 
shiver  ran  through  my  bones.  I  lay  still,  looking 
about  so  far  as  I  could  without  moving,  for  it  seemed 
as  if  I  must  not  move  or  stretch  out  a  hand  or  foot, 
lest  I  touched  that  nameless  something.  So  I  lay, 
when  all  over  my  body  broke  out  a  sweat  that  burned 
me.  I  know  not  how  long  it  lasted.  Time  was  nothing 
then,  but  there  in  the  darkness  I  thought  long  and 
decided  to  move  but  the  least  atom.  It  took  more 
courage  than  I  had  ever  used  before  to  move  my 
arm  and  turn  over,  and  then,  when  I  did  attempt  to 
do  so,  I  could  not,  for  something  gripped  and  bound 
me  in  my  side  that  drew  another  cry  of  pain  and 

17 


258    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

terror,  until  I  discovered  it  was  the  ugly  wound  his 
sword  had  made. 

So  I  lay  still  —  hours,  it  seemed  —  and  then,  rea 
son  coming  to  me,  I  got  up  to  walk  away  in  my 
drenched  clothes,  and  staggered  up  through  a  gar 
den  to  the  street  holding  by  a  fence  or  a  tree,  leaning 
for  support  against  the  side  of  a  house,  and  so  into 
the  street,  just  as  a  sign  of  the  first  light  began  to 
appear. 

The  gate  was  open  and  I  got  into  the  street  and 
fell  again  into  a  heap;  and  then,  gripping  the  fence, 
lifted  myself  up  and  stood  there,  as  a  shout  came  to 
me,  it  seemed  from  a  hundred  people,  who  rushed 
at  me  and  pulled  my  legs  from  under  me  and  picked 
me  up.  And  I  cared  not  a  whit  what  they  did  nor 
heard  a  word  they  said,  for  there  was  not  enough 
in  life  for  me  to  trouble  at  it. 


CHAPTER    XXII 

THE   OLD   SUGAR    HOUSE 

HALF  conscious  as  I  soon  became,  I  knew 
only  that  I  was  being  carried  away,  then 
put  into  a  cart  that  jolted  horribly  and  after 
an  interminable  time  carried  into  a  building  and 
dumped  upon  the  floor  of  a  room  whether  at  night  or 
in  the  daytime  I  could  not  have  told,  as  there  was  little 
or  no  light  then  or  during  the  whole  time  I  was  there. 
So  I  lay  on  the  floor,  which  seemed  wet,  for  a  time; 
and  then  finding  my  consciousness  thoroughly  I  began 
to  take  cognizance  of  what  lay  near  me. 

A  shiver  of  horror  —  that  same  dread  —  rushed 
over  me  instantly  as  I  felt,  in  stretching  out  my  hand, 
the  body  of  a  man.  With  a  kind  of  spasmodic  stroke 
of  reason  I  felt  at  his  heart,  the  dread  growing  as  I 
could  not  find  it  beating,  and  in  another  moment  I 
turned  over  and  found  him  dead  and  cold.  With  the 
sort  of  movement  which  an  insane  man  makes  as  he 
crouches  away  from  something,  I  pushed  myself  across 
the  floor  eyeing  the  body,  then  whirled  about  in  spite 
of  the  wound,  for  I  touched  something  on  the  other 
side.  'T  was  another  body.  No !  for  it  spoke. 

"Have  you  a  daughter,  friend?"  it  asked. 

"No,"  I  whispered. 


26o    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  Then  take  her  and  cut  her  throat,  if  you  would 
keep  her  a  virgin ! " 

"  What  mean  you  ?  "  I  asked,  in  strange  awe,  and, 
my  eyes  becoming  accustomed  to  the  darkness,  I  saw  a 
haggard  figure  —  naught  but  bones  with  the  dried 
skin  drawn  tight  over  them  —  sitting  Turk  fashion 
and  looking  at  me  with  wild  eyes. 

"  Aye,  cut  her  throat  that  she  may  live ! " 

"  Where  am  I  ? "  I  asked  to  the  air,  for  I  became 
aware  of  a  foul  odour  and  sickening  heavy  atmosphere 
that,  as  it  grew,  made  me  try  to  stop  breathing  till  it 
should  pass ;  but  that  it  did  never. 

"  Don't  min'  'im,"  said  a  gruff  voice  behind  my 
head.  "  'E  's  got  'em  I  'E  's  lifted,  'ere!  'E  's  got  a 
w'eel  stuck  in  'is  upper  deck." 

I  sat  up  quickly,  holding  my  clothes  now  dried  to 
the  wound  to  keep  from  tearing  them  away  from  my 
side,  and  saw  dimly  a  long  narrow  room  with  walls  of 
stone  and  little  slits  for  windows,  with  every  inch  of 
floor  covered  by  standing  or  sitting  men,  so  close  to 
gether  that  in  many  instances  they  lay  across  one  an 
other.  I  had  for  the  moment  more  room  than  the 
others. 

"Where  am  I?" 

"  In  hell !  In  hell !  "  cried  the  lunatic.  "  And  she 
is  not  here.  Will  you  cut  her  throat,  friend?"  I 
crawled  away  from  him,  fascinated  by  his  unwinking 
eyes,  till  I  touched  the  dead  man. 

"  Give  that  un  a  wide  berth,  mate,"  said  the  sailor. 
"  'E  just  coughed  up  'is  last  breath,  and  'e  's  got  the 
typhus." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    261 

"  Where  am  I  ?  "  I  cried  again,  shrinking  from  the 
body. 

"  The  lunatic  's  about  right,"  said  the  sailor,  in  his 
monotonous  voice.  "  Ye  're  in  'ell.  D'  yer  mean  to 
say  yer  don'  know  the  old  Sugar  'Ouse  ?  " 

God  knows  I  did !  And  I  hid  my  face  in  my  hands 
to  cover  my  grief.  Did  I  know  the  Sugar  House 
Prison,  where  my  comrades  of  '77  had  lain  so  long, 
some  only  leaving  to  go  as  I  had  seen  them  in  the 
dead  carts  but  a  few  hours  before?  Did  I  know  that 
foul  prison?  Aye,  well!  And  was  like  to  know  it 
better. 

"  What  day  is  it  ?  "  asked  a  quiet  voice  at  my  feet. 
I  turned  a  little  and  heard  a  long  cough  come  from 
a  young  man  pale  with  the  signs  of  death  on  his 
white  brow,  lying  there  on  his  side,  his  quiet  face 
resting  on  his  arm,  his  eyes  looking  at  me  with  a 
bravery  in  them  that  was  pitiful,  pitiful  beyond 
measure ! 

"  Thursday,"  said  some  voice  out  of  the  foul  dark 
ness. 

"  Wednesday,"  said  I,  as  I  instinctively  turned 
towards  the  wasted  figure. 

"  What  month,  if  you  please  ?  "  he  asked,  without 
taking  his  eyes  from  my  face. 

"  The  thirteenth  of  October,  friend,"  said  I. 

He  lay  still  a  moment,  looking  at  me  without  letting 
his  gaze  waver.  Then : 

"What  year?" 

"  1780,  comrade.     Where  do  you  belong?" 

"  '80,"   said   he,   thoughtfully,   in  the   same   voice. 


262    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

"  1780.  I  have  been  here  two  years  and  near  three 
months." 

"  My  God !  " 

A  figure  approached  us  through  the  thick  air,  step 
ping  carefully  over  those  lying  down  and  passing 
among  those  who  stood  or  sat  up. 

"  I  cannot  get  any,  John,  brother,"  said  he  to  the 
dying  man. 

"  Thank  ye,  Jake,"  he  answered,  never  turning  his 
gaze  from  my  face,  nor  changing  his  look  or  position. 
I  looked  up  and  saw  a  face  like  his  own,  and  saw,  too, 
the  man  swallow  suddenly,  and  heard  him  cry  in  a 
piteous  tone: 

"  They  will  not  give  me  any,  not  a  drop  to  save  him," 
and,  turning  to  a  grated  door  through  which  came 
the  little  light  we  had,  he  leaned  over  another  sleeping 
figure  and  spoke  to  the  guard  standing  with  a  musket 
over  his  shoulder. 

"  Will  you  not  get  me  a  little  water  for  my  brother?  " 

"  There  ain't  none,"  said  the  man. 

"  He  is  dying,  and  but  a  little  water  would  save 
him!" 

"  There  ain't  none,"  said  the  man  in  precisely  the 
same  voice  as  before. 

"  I'll  give  you  a  guinea  for  a  glassful ! "  pleaded 
the  wretched  man,  moving  over  one  or  two  others 
to  reach  the  barred  door. 

"  There  ain't  none,"  came  to  him  again  exactly  as 
before,  as  the  guard  walked  away. 

In  a  moment  he  was  back  by  his  brother's  side, 
for  the  lad  had  been  caught  with  a  sudden  and  terrible 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    *    263 

fit  of  coughing  that  shook  his  whole  frame,  and  then 
he  rolled  over  on  his  back  and  lay  with  his  arms  out 
stretched,  staring  with  wide  open  eyes  at  the  ceiling, 
his  chest  falling  and  rising  in  long  straining  breaths. 

With  a  faint  cry  the  other  stepped  to  the  bars  and 
cried  out  down  the  corridor : 

"  Will  you  not  give  me  an  inch  of  candle,  man  ?  " 

The  guard  returned  slowly. 

"  My  brother  is  dying  there  —  there !  Do  you  not 
see  him?  I  cannot  see  his  face.  For  God's  sake  give 
me  a  bit  of  candle  to  see  him  die !  " 

"  There  ain't  none !  "  said  the  guard,  and  walked  on. 

Then  the  boy's  body  shook  and  strained  upward  in 
a  strange  inhuman  fashion,  as  I  have  seen  a  fish  on 
the  sand  gasp  and  swell  for  water  in  his  gills.  He 
turned  his  eyes  towards  his  brother,  tried  to  say  some 
thing,  and  one  hand  made  a  faint  move  as  if  to  lift 
itself.  The  brother  caught  the  movement  at  once,  and 
kneeling  down  took  the  hand  and  looked  steadfastly 
in  the  lad's  face,  we  others  lying  silently  and  watching 
them  both.  A  grim  set  came  into  his  jaw. 

"  It 's  all  right,  John/'  said  he  softly,  but  firmly. 
"It's  all  right,  lad!"  The  eyes  looked  steadfastly 
at  him.  "  Right,  brother,"  cried  he  again.  "  Keep 
thy  grip,  lad !  "  And  he  took  the  other  hand  as  the 
boy  suddenly  raised  his  head,  opened  his  mouth  for 
an  instant,  and  sank  gently  back  with  his  chin  sunk 
into  his  chest  and  lay  still  —  and  died  then  and  there. 

"  Now,  if  it  please  God,"  cried  the  other  with  quiet 
tears  running  down  his  sallow  face,  "  if  it  please  God 
that  I  ever  get  away  alive,  I'll  be  a  most  bitter  enemy !  " 


264    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   ¥ 

And  I  lay  back  upon  the  floor  and  hid  my  face 
in  my  hands. 

Could  it  be?  Could  it  be  that  but  a  day  or  two 
ago  I  had  passed  this  grim  building?  Could  it  be 
that,  almost  in  sight  of  its  gray  walls,  I  had  sat  and 
eaten  and  drunk  and  been  happy  in  that  simple  touch 
of  her  foot  beneath  mine?  Could  it  be  so?  It  did 
not  seem  possible.  Could  it  be,  too,  that  that  genial 
Baron  Riedesel  and  the  young  boy  prince  and  his 
comrades  knew  aught  of  this?  And  yet  why  not? 
Did  not  we  up  in  Connecticut  this  two  years  know 
this  hell  and  the  other  hells  swinging  at  their  rotten 
cables  in  the  river,  that  held  their  crowds  of  living 
and  dying  and  dead? 

I  must  get  away  from  this  scene !  I  could  not  stand 
it.  And  so  with  severe  pain  I  rose  carefully  and, 
picking  my  way  over  and  among  the  two  hundred 
and  more  men  in  that  long  narrow  room,  made  for 
one  of  the  small  windows.  Each  was  crowded  two 
and  three  deep  with  silent  figures  clinging  together 
in  the  hot  air,  their  faces  touching  cheek  to  cheek 
and  filling  the  lower  space  of  the  window.  Each  man 
had  his  mouth  open  drawing  in  long  breaths. 

"  Would  you  but  let  me  get  a  whiff  of  air,  friend  ?  " 
I  asked  one  of  those  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  group. 
But  no  sooner  had  I  spoken  than  a  voice  behind  me 
said: 

"  That  is  not  your  group !  " 

I  turned  to  him  and  he  must  have  seen  my  bewil 
derment,  for  he  asked: 

"  When  did  you  come  ?  " 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    265 

"  But  just  now,  this  morning." 

"  You  do  not  know  then  that  the  room  is  divided 
into  groups  of  six  men,  and  that  every  ten  minutes 
a  group  must  change  to  allow  another  six  to  breathe 
the  air/' 

"  No,  I  did  not  know  it,"  said  I  wearily.  And  then 
without  interest,  but  without  discourtesy,  I  was 
assigned  to  group  No.  37.  Turning  again  to  him 
who  had  spoken  first,  I  asked  what  group  those  men 
now  by  the  window  belonged  to,  and  he  told  me  't  was 
No.  28. 

"  Then  I  cannot  get  to  the  window  for  an  hour 
and  a  half?" 

"  That  is  it,  my  friend." 

"  So  be  it.  If  these  men  who  have  been  here  so  long 
can  stand  it,  so  can  I."  And  I  was  about  to  lie  down, 
feeling  unable  to  stand  and  knowing  another  of  those 
shivers  was  coming  on,  when  the  tramp  of  military 
feet  sounded  in  the  corridor  and  a  hoarse  voice  cried : 

"  Turn  out  your  dead !  All  hands  turn  out  your 
dead!" 

"  A  strange,  intangible  rustling  sounded  through 
the  room,  before  so  silent  that  it  did  not  seem  as  if  so 
many  men  could  be  housed  there.  Then  the  crowd 
rose,  except  those  who  could  never  rise  again  this  side 
the  grave,  and  with  the  same  quiet,  silent  method 
that  everything  seemed  to  have  in  that  fetid  room  — 
the  lack  of  interest,  the  sombre,  mirthless  procedure, 
the  same  set  faces  with  only  one  expression  on  them  — 
with  all  this  a  few  raised  the  eight  or  ten  bodies  and 
carried  them  to  the  two  doors  leading  into  the  corridor. 


266    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

I  watched  from  across  the  room  and  saw  the  living 
carry  the  dead  brother  tenderly,  quietly  in  his  arms 
and  without  a  word  deliver  him  to  two  soldiers,  who, 
one  taking  him  by  the  feet  and  the  other  by  the 
arm  pits,  carried  him  off  down  the  corridor,  to  be 
thrown  without  covering  or  burial  service  into  the 
trenches  outside  the  breastworks,  there  to  rot  with 
thousands  of  others,  good  men  and  true  all  of  them ! 

With  the  same  quiet  manner  the  others  settled  back 
in  silence  to  sit  or  lie  motionless,  looking  at  nothing, 
thinking,  thinking  for  hours,  days,  weeks  at  a  time, 
without  speaking ;  others  to  walk  aimlessly  about  over 
and  among  their  fellows.  I  lay  close  by  the  wall  try 
ing  to  get  such  air  as  I  could,  now  and  then  frozen 
with  chills  and  with  the  pangs  of  hunger  gripping  me. 
But  no  morsel  of  food  came  to  us  that  day,  and  only 
by  the  generosity  of  a  man  with  whom  I  talked  had 
I  a  bit  of  foul  bread  and  salt  beef. 

So  came  the  night,  without  change  except  for  a 
shade  less  light  in  the  room.  But  I  slept,  as  I  had 
during  the  day,  in  a  doze  that  seemed  even  to  me 
wrong  and  unnatural,  and  when  I  woke,  somewhere 
in  the  early  hours,  my  face  and  body  burned  with 
a  fever  and  the  undressed  wound  gave  me  terrible 
pain. 

I  pitched  about  a  while  on  a  bit  of  straw  I  had 
got  into  my  possession,  and  then,  turning  to  one 
near  me,  said: 

"  Are  you  awake,  my  friend  ?  " 

"  Always,"  said  the  other  immediately. 

"  Do  you  know  aught  of  the  chirurgeon's  work  ?  " 


¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    267 

"  No,  man,  that  I  do  not.    What  is  it?" 

"  I  have  a  wound  here,"  answered  I.  "  And  if  I 
could  but  get  my  clothes  away  from  it,  'twould  be 
less  trouble." 

"  Let  the  cloth  stick  to  it,  lad,"  said  he.  "  The  room 
is  full  of  typhus  and  smallpox,  and  'twere  better  to 
keep  it  closed.  But  wait  till  daylight  when  we  can 
see  it  better." 

So  I  lay  wide  awake  for  several  hours  till  the  light 
came  slowly  in,  my  thoughts  running  riot  at  times, 
so  that  I  thought  that  I  might  go  out  of  my  head. 
And  then  I  would  go  over  every  hour  of  my  life  with 
her,  from  the  wet  night  and  the  broken  coach-wheel 
to  that  moment  at  the  prince's  soiree  when  she  turned 
from  me  and  my  heart  died  within  me.  It  was  all  a 
matter  of  three  short  weeks,  yet  I  could  not  fancy  my 
existence  before  it,  could  not  remember  much  of  what 
I  had  thought  or  felt  for  twenty  years.  And  then, 
fancy  running  on,  I  would  present  to  myself,  as  one 
will,  thousands  of  impossible  "  ifs." 

If  I  had  now  the  chance  of  going  out  freely  into 
the  open  air  and  away  from  the  city,  but  to  do  that 
must  give  up  —  must  not  know  at  all  —  my  short 
three  weeks  with  her,  would  I  do  it?  And  I  knew 
in  my  heart  that  I  would  lie  down  on  the  dirty  straw 
and  shake  my  head.  Yet  how  could  she  doubt  me? 
What  was  she  thinking,  doing,  feeling  now,  and  now  ? 
And  then  what  had  become  of  Curtis  and  Acton  and 
that  foul  specimen  of  manhood  that  went  with  them? 
What  of  the  expedition  towards  Newport?  And  so 
back  again  to  Deborah  Philipse,  and  round  her  and 


268    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

round  her  in  a  circle  of  thought,  with  the  fever  climb 
ing  into  my  veins  all  night  long. 

At  daybreak  the  guards  came,  bringing  each  man 
six  days'  rations,  and  we  were  ordered  to  form  in 
line  and  march  past,  taking  our  share  one  by  one. 
When  it  came  to  my  turn  I  found  lying  in  my  hand 
about  two  pounds  of  raw  pork  and  as  much  weight 
of  sea  biscuit.  And  finding  my  friend,  we  got  an 
iron  bucket  wherewith  one  could  heat  the  water.  So 
we  cooked  and  ate  our  meal,  saving  only  a  bit  of  water 
with  which  the  kind  friend  helped  me  get  my  shirt 
away  from  the  wound.  And  then,  tearing  the  linen 
up  into  ribbons,  he  wound  it  tight  around  my  body 
for  a  bandage. 

As  he  did  so,  his  eye  brightened  a  bit. 

"  I  knew  a  queer  bird  up  the  river  who  was  part 
chirurgeon  and  part  man  of  God  —  though  mostly 
pirate,"  said  he,  "  who  showed  me  how  thus  to  tie  a 
bandage."  I  paid  little  heed  to  what  the  man  said, 
for  just  then  a  faintness  from  the  pain  took  me.  "  He 
knew  somewhat  of  all  three  trades.  A  strange  beast 
was  old  Marvin !  I  wonder  if  he  is  hung  yet  ?  "  and 
he  smiled  quietly  to  himself. 

"Marvin,"  said  I,  suddenly,  "where?" 

"  Up  above  Tarrytown  in  the  neutral  country.  I 
was  there  myself  —  " 

"  Marvin,  say  you,  man  ?  "  cried  I,  again.  "  What 
sort?" 

"  A  sober  villain ;  solemn  of  face,  but  with  the 
capacity  for  gallons  of  good  ale  —  but  why  ?  Do  you 
know  him?" 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    269 

"  Aye,  well !  But  is  he  then  of  a  fact  a  minister 
of  the  church  ?  "  and  my  wound  and  the  old  prison 
were  forgotten  as  I  waited  for  his  answer. 

"  True  enough  !  Though,  God  knows,  he  does  more 
honour  to  hell  and  its  king  —  the  devil." 

"Marvin  — Jim  Marvin?" 

"  Aye,  lad,  old  Jim  Marvin !  You  can  see  him  any 
day  at  Gowan's  Tavern —  What  is  it?  Is  the  cut 
paining  ye?" 

The  cut!  What  pain  could  touch  me  just  then? 
Pain  or  no  pain,  dead  or  alive,  one  thing  was  sure. 
There  lived  no  longer  on  this  earth  a  Deborah  Philipse. 
But  a  Deborah  there  was  —  aye,  should  I  ever  see 
her  again? 

So  the  days  passed  on,  one  like  another,  except 
that  the  heat  ended  and  gradually  the  cold  came  on, 
first  a  comfort  to  us  all,  then  disagreeable,  and  finally 
terrible.  For  we  had  no  sign  of  fire,  except  perhaps 
once  a  week  for  our  water  boiling.  This,  too,  stopped 
when,  as  I  inferred,  the  want  of  wood  in  the  town 
took  what  little  we  were  before  allowed. 

This  cold  got  into  my  never  healing  wound  and  I 
began  to  grow  too  weak  to  stand  at  all,  and  was  so 
sitting  against  the  wall  one  day,  close  to  some  new- 
made  friends,  that  we  might  keep  one  another  warm, 
when  some  forty  new  prisoners  arrived;  and  I,  lying 
back  with  my  head  to  the  wall  and  my  eyes  closed, 
heard  one  telling  some  of  my  companions  that  he 
came  from  Tappan. 

"  When,  man  ?  "  I  asked,  leaning  forward  quicker 
than  I  thought  I  could. 


270  *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  But  three  days  ago." 

"  Tell  me  then  if  you  can,  back  two  months  now, 
about  the  middle  of  October,  did  Clinton  move  on 
Newport  ?  " 

"  That  he  did,  but  got  no  further  than  Huntington 
Harbour  with  all  his  forces." 

"Why,  man,  why?"  I  asked. 

"  Why,  because  the  Commander-in-Chief,  by  some 
means  I  do  not  know,  got  wind  of  the  thing  before 
it  started  and  made  a  feint  —  I  was  with  my  command, 
and  't  was  a  stiff  fight,  too  —  on  Staten  Island  and 
at  Paulus'  Hook,  and  back  came  scurrying  the  Johnnies 
with  their  tails  between  their  legs,  thinking  the  town 
was  taken  or  going  soon  to  be." 

"  Thank  God,"  I  muttered  to  myself,  lying  back 
again  as  the  man  went  rambling  on.  Curtis  and 
Acton  must  be  safe,  then.  And  Hazeltine,  too,  dead 
or  alive !  After  all,  we  had  not  done  so  ill,  and  I  had 
kept  my  word  to  the  general  so  far  as  man  could.  But 
I  knew  I  must  be  weak  indeed,  for  the  excitement  of 
the  new  man's  story  had  taken  the  life  out  of  me, 
and  I  slid  down  to  the  cold  floor  all  in  a  sweat  that 
drenched  my  clothes  and  then  froze  upon  them. 

With  that  I  sank  back  into  a  quiet  stupor  that  lasted 
I  know  not,  nor  never  knew,  how  long;  but  happier 
than  I  had  thought  to  be  since  coming  to  the  Sugar 
House.  From  time  to  time,  as  I  waked  a  bit  and 
looked  about,  I  would  catch  two  or  three  comrades 
looking  down  at  me  as  I  lay  not  uncomfortably  on 
a  little  clump  of  straw,  and,  seeing  me  looking  at 
them,  they  would  ask  me  how  I  did.  And  I  smiled 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    271 

and  told  them,  truthfully,  as  well  as  they.  Once  a 
young  and  big  fellow  took  his  coat  and  threw  it  over 
me,  and,  try  as  I  would,  I  could  not  make  him  take 
it  back;  for  just  then  Ijcould  not  seem  to  rise  up  on 
my  elbow,  and  by  and  by  I  laughed  and  thanked  him 
and  turned  aside  and  slept  long,  I  know  not  how 
long. 

So  I  awoke  once  and  found  it  light  in  the  old  house, 
for  the  snow  reflected  on  the  ceiling;  and  seeing  the 
group,  larger  than  before,  standing  about  me  I  asked 
for  a  bit  of  water,  and  it  came  to  my  lips  at  once. 
Some  one  I  heard  talking  quietly  and  looking  at  me, 
and  I  caught  the  word  "  going/'  And  I  remember 
thinking  then  with  some  interest  that  perhaps  there 
was  a  rumour  of  our  going  out  of  this  frozen  hell. 
And  on  asking  if  't  was  so,  they  said  in  their  same  un 
emotional  way,  "  Yes,  man,  some  of  us  —  some  of 
us  will  go  shortly." 

Then  on  a  sudden  the  group  slipped  away,  why  I 
could  not  see,  till  I  caught  the  glint  of  red  uniforms 
and  saw  an  officer  and  some  men  walking  about  the 
room  stopping  now  and  then.  I  lay  so  on  my  side 
idly  watching  them  approach,  when  the  blood  froze 
in  my  veins. 

'T  was  Captain  Atherton  moving  quietly  along, 
pointing  now  and  then  to  a  prisoner.  He  must  not 
see  me !  That  I  knew ;  and  so  I  shrank  back  into  my 
straw  and  waited  in  a  kind  of  terror  to  see  if  he  would 
get  by.  So  he  came  on  slowly,  so  slowly,  looking  at 
each  and  every  man  and  saying  not  a  word.  But  as 
he  pointed  to  a  prisoner  that  one  was  lifted  and  car- 


272    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

ricd  out.    I  could  not  keep  my  eyes  from  him.    And 
then  he  came  by  me. 

On  a  sudden  he  stepped  back.  Then  quickly  mut 
tering  that  he  had  slipped,  I  saw  him  point  at  me 
and  walk  on,  still  studying  each  man.  Two  soldiers 
leaned  down  and  took  me  up  gently  enough,  for  I 
felt  no  pain;  and  then  we  passed  down  the  corridor, 
down  the  stairs  and  into  a  light  room.  There  stood 
Atherton  and  pointed  to  a  couch,  where  they  laid  me 
and  passed  out,  and  I  turned  my  face  to  the  wall, 
in  hopes  he  had  not  recognised  me.  But  in  truth 
the  couch  being  soft  and  comfortable  I  did  not  much 
care,  but  gave  something  of  a  long  sigh  and  —  went 
to  sleep. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

AWAKENING 

'?  |  ^  WAS  but  a  moment  when  I  opened  my  eyes 
again,  and  with  that  came  the  dread  of  see- 
JL  ing  Atherton  there  in  the  office  of  the  prison, 
looking  at  me.  So  that  I  lay  quite  still  and  listened. 
No  sound  came  to  me,  but  I  knew  in  the  sleepy  way 
I  had  acquired  of  late  that  there  was  a  bright  light 
there,  and  that  I  was  warm  and  so  comfortable  as 
I  had  not  been  these  two  months.  But  strange  that 
I  could  not  move!  My  side  was  as  stiff  as  a  board, 
so  stiff  that  I  softly  and  carefully  raised  my  arm  and 
felt  —  not  the  sofa,  but  straw. 

And  then  came  a  sickening  consciousness  that  I 
was  back  in  the  prison  house.  I  picked  up  a  bit  of 
straw,  but  it  felt  soft  and  would  not  yield  to  my 
pulling,  and  looking  down  I  had  like  to  have  cried 
out  when  I  saw  in  my  hand  a  white  and  spotless 
counterpane. 

Perfectly  quiet  I  lay,  my  mind  working  so  fast 
that  it  pained  me  sorely.  Over  my  head  I  saw  a  roof, 
and  then,  quick  and  fast,  came  the  knowledge  that  I 
lay  on  a  great  bed  with  four  posts  supporting  a  roof 
hung  with  silken  curtains.  I  tried  to  move,  and 
found,  though  I  had  no  pain,  that  the  wound  was  too 

18 


274    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

stiff  to  allow  me  to  turn,  and,  putting  my  hand  to 
my  side,  it  met  tight  cloth  bandages  that  ran  around 
me  from  groin  to  armpits,  and  then  up  over  either 
shoulder  and  around  my  neck. 

There  I  lay  with  eyes  shut,  and  thought  and 
thought.  What  could  it  be?  Was  I  — could  it  be  — 
could  I  be  losing  my  mind,  and  should  I  begin  to 
ask  if  some  one  would  cut  my  daughter's  throat? 
Then  I  bade  myself  be  quiet,  and  held  myself  tense 
to  see  — to  think  —  to  realise  the  reality.  But  it 
would  not  do,  I  could  not  bear  it,  and  cried  out: 

"Where  am  I?" 

That  instant  the  curtain  was  pulled  back  and  I 
saw  a  face  looking  at  me.  Then  on  the  moment 
't  was  gone.  And  I  fancied  I  heard  the  soft  rustle 
of  a  gown  as  the  figure  flew  out  through  the  room. 
Was  it  Atherton?  I  strained  my  weak  head  to  think, 
to  decide.  I  could  not  tell.  It  must  be,  and  yet  — 
and  yet  it  did  not  seem  to  be  so,  and  the  face  that 
it  resembled  —  aye!  my  mind  was  gone  stark  mad. 
'T  was  the  face  it  could  never  be ! 

So  I  lay,  turning  a  bit  to  one  side  that  I  might 
see  the  door  as  it  stood  open  into  a  hall  with  the 
sunlight  playing  across  the  floor  and  dancing  upon 
the  polished  furniture.  Gradually  I  was  straining 
myself  out  of  a  mist  of  thoughts,  when  there  came 
a  rustle,  and  two  little  faces  peeped  in  at  me,  and 
I  not  moving,  they  came  on  through  the  door  —  two 
little  faces  hung  about  with  fair  curls,  one  of  golden 
brown  and  one  of  black,  and  carried  on  little  shoul 
ders  and  little  bodies  dressed  in  white  gowns. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    275 

There  could  be  no  doubt  of  it,  —  angels  they  might 
be,  but  they  were  two  little  girls  of  some  four  or 
five  summers.  I  waved  my  hand  weakly  to  them, 
and  asked  them  to  come  and  talk  to  me.  My  voice 
had  a  strange  and  pitifully  jaded  sound,  and  the 
smile  that  ran  over  my  face  seemed  to  crack  the  skin 
by  the  unaccustomed  wrinkle's  it  created. 

"  Come  here,  children,"  mumbled  I,  "  and  tell  me 
who  was  here  but  now." 

They  sidled  up,  holding  tight  to  one  another's 
hands,  the  chubby  little  fairy  hanging  back,  both 
looking  at  me  with  great  startled  eyes  through  the 
fringes  of  curls  —  startled,  but  filled  with  curiosity, 
too. 

"  Who  was  here  but  now,  little  ones  ? "  I  asked 
again. 

"  Tante.  She  sits  here  all  day  and  every  night 
always,"  said  the  older,  opening  her  eyes  wide. 

"  And  the  Lieber  Gott,"  said  the  chubby  one. 

"And  who?" 

"  The  Lieber  Gott.  Tante  says  He  is  here  with 
you  all  the  time,  too." 

"  Yeth,  all  the  time,"  said  the  chubby  one.  "  But 
we  can  't  catch  him." 

"  We  Ve  tried  every  day,"  said  the  other,  as  they 
began  to  grow  confidential. 

"  Yeth,"  said  Chubby.     "  We  Ve  twied  evwy  day." 

"  We  thought  we  had  found  him  once." 

"  Yeth,  we  thought  we  'd  found  him  once,"  re 
peated  little  Echo,  "  but  't  was  a  wat  scwatchin', 
Tante  said." 


276    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

I  lay  back  thanking  God  for  I  knew  not  what. 

"And  who  is  Xante?"  I  asked,  softly. 

They  looked  at  one  another  and  took  a  new  grip 
on  their  hands. 

"  She 's  just  Xante,"  said  the  older,  standing  on 
the  other  white-socked  foot. 

"  Yeth,  juth  Xante,"  said  Echo. 

"  And  who  are  you  ?  " 

"  We  're  mudder's  dears,"  said  the  older,  simply, 
as  she  came  to  my  bedside. 

"  God  knows  you  are !  "  cried  I,  weakly,  and  the 
tears  rolled  out  of  my  eyes  because  I  had  no  power 
to  stop  them.  I  had  to  wait  a  moment,  and  then: 

"  Will  you  lean  over  and  give  me  a  kiss  ? "  and 
she  did,  but  Chubby  could  not  reach  and  had  to  forego. 

"  Is  He  here  ?  "  she  asked  confidentially. 

"Who?" 

"  Xhe  Lieber  Gott.    Xante  says  He  will  cure  you." 

"I  think  He  must  be.  I  hope  —  "  But  I  could 
not  go  on.  Weakness  —  absurd  weakness  without 
pain,  simply  a  lack  of  power  —  stopped  me,  and  just 
then,  closing  my  eyes,  I  heard  the  rustle  of  a  dress 
and  an  anxious,  nay,  terrified  whisper,  saying: 

"Children,  children,  what  have  you  done?  Haven't 
I  told  you  never  to  come  in  here  ?  Where  is  Xante  ?  " 

"  Xhhe  wan  away  and  the  Lieber  Gott  did,  too," 
said  Chubby. 

"  So  we  came  in,"  said  the  older. 

"  Sh !  "  said  the  whisper  again.  "  Run  away  at 
once,"  and  as  they  trotted  off,  the  curtains  drew 
aside  and  I  opened  my  eyes,  still  with  the  tears  in 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    ¥    277 

them,  and  smiled  straight  into  the  beautiful  face  of 
the  Baroness  Riedesel. 

"  Where  am  I  ? "  I  asked  weakly. 

She  put  her  finger  to  her  mouth  and  raised  her 
eyebrows. 

"  Do  you  know  me  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Don't  speak. 
Just  nod." 

I  nodded. 

"  Are  you  perfectly  conscious  ?  " 

I  nodded. 

She  moved  away,  and  I  cried  out  and  asked  her 
where  I  was. 

"  You  must  not  talk  or  move  till  I  get  the  doctor. 
You  are  in  our  house  in  New  York." 

"  How  long  — "  I  could  not  finish,  but  made  a 
gesture  towards  the  bed. 

"  Nearly  six  weeks  ago  you  were  brought  here," 
and  she  was  gone,  still  with  her  finger  on  her  lips. 

I  lay  back  in  wonder,  and  though  weak  I  felt 
strong,  though  ill  I  felt  well.  I  cannot  tell  how  it 
was,  but  I  settled  all  the  muscles  of  my  body  down 
upon  the  soft  bed  and  took  as  long  a  breath  as  my 
bandages  would  allow.  So  I  lay  I  know  not  how 
long,  and  the  door  opened  quickly  but  silently  and 
in  came  the  sharp  face  of  Dr.  Low,  followed  by  the 
baroness.  Silently  they  came  on.  Silently  he  drew 
up  a  chair  and  sat,  taking  my  hand,  while  she  stood 
behind  him  looking  over  his  shoulder. 

"  So,  young  man,"  said  Low,  cheerily.  "  You  're 
looking-  round  a  bit.  So !  So !  "  he  went  on,  looking 
at  his  watch.  "So!  open  your  mouth!"  I  did. 


278    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  Stick  out  your  tongue.  So,  not  so  bad !  Now 
drink  that,"  and  down  went  something,  I  all  the 
while  looking  at  him  in  wonder. 

Apparently  the  baroness  misunderstood  my  look, 
for  she  said  hastily,  but  softly: 

"  Do  not  fear  the  doctor !  He  will  not  betray  you. 
He  is  only  here  to  cure  you." 

At  that,  Low,  sitting  thus  with  his  back  to  her 
and  looking  at  me,  closed  one  eye  slowly  without 
the  changing  of  another  muscle  of  his  face  and  as 
slowly  opened  it  again,  and  I  could  have  laughed 
aloud,  but  I  asked: 

"  Who  is  Tante  ?  "  I  do  not  know  what  I  thought. 
I  could  not  let  myself  believe  or  hope  anything,  but 
I  must  ask,  and  know  and  get  it  over  with.  The 
baroness  smiled  at  me,  and  Low  said  in  a  tone  that 
meant  nothing : 

"  Oh,  she's  an  old  hag  we  hired  here  to  nurse  you." 

"  I  think  you  lie,  Doctor,"  said  I  weakly,  and 
looked  at  the  baroness.  She  nodded  brightly,  and 
I  made  an  involuntary  movement. 

"Here!  here!"  cried  Low.  "Perhaps  I  do  lie, 
but  do  you  lie  still  and  go  promptly  to  sleep." 

"  I  cannot." 

"  Yes,  you  can !  Why,  man,  you  've  got  one  foot 
and  three  quarters  of  the  other  in  the  grave  still. 
Off  you  go !  "  And  he  got  up  and  took  the  baroness 
by  the  arm  and  walked  out  of  the  room  closing  the 
door. 

Sleep !  How  could  I  sleep  ?  Who  was  she  ?  Might 
it  be?  Six  weeks.  What  was  the  matter  with  me? 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    279 

And  so  I  lay  and  thought  and  thought,  and  then  — 
the  door  slowly  opened.  I  looked  and  saw  a  head, 
a  face  and  a  bit  of  white  gown. 

It  was  she!  And  I  stretched  out  my  sickly  hand 
to  her  and  made  some  silly  gurgling  sound  and  — 
she  was  gone  instantly  and  the  door  again  shut. 

And  then  and  there,  I,  Merton  Balfort,  lay  over 
on  my  back  and  looked  up  at  the  canopy  of  the  bed 
above  me  —  and  thanked  God  at  some  length !  And 
so  I  slept  long,  and  waked  again  stronger  and  fresher 
by  much  than  before,  and  as  I  moved  in  my  bed  there 
came  the  setting  aside  of  the  curtains  again,  the  rustle 
of  a  dress,  and  there  she  stood  looking  at  me,  for 
an  instant.  But  as  I  moved  she  was  gone,  and  I 
began  to  lose  my  temper  and  ask  myself  what  was 
the  matter,  and,  as  a  sick  man  will,  complained  of 
my  fate. 

Then  I  took  counsel  with  myself,  and  turning  to 
one  side,  so  that  I  could  see  the  door,  I  thrust  one 
arm  under  the  pillow,  put  my  head  down  so  that  I 
covered  one  eye  but  left  the  other  free,  and  then, 
with  some  labour,  be  it  acknowledged,  placed  the 
other  arm  over  my  face,  with  but  a  small  opening 
left  for  the  one  eye  to  watch  the  door.  Then  I  lay 
quiet,  as  if  again  asleep. 

'T  was  a  long  time,  and  I  began  to  lose  my  small 
stock  of  nerve,  when  the  door  again  slid  open  a  bit 
and  her  head  appeared  cautiously.  Seeing  me  thus 
asleep,  she  came  slowly  on  tiptoe  with  a  look  in  her 
face  that  lives  with  me  always,  and  the  quiet  rustle 
of  her  gown.  And  so  coming  near,  she  knelt  down 


280   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

by  the  bed,  the  proud  white  neck  bent  forward  and 
her  brown  head  resting  in  her  hands  on  the  counter 
pane  close  to  me.  And  there  she  lay  quietly  for  a 
long  while,  till  suddenly  the  curls  began  to  quiver 
and  the  shoulders  to  shake,  and  to  my  wonder  I 
heard  a  soft  sob,  then  another,  then  another.  I 
could  bear  it  no  longer  and  quietly  raising  my  arm 
I  put  my  hand  on  her  head. 

"  Deborah !  " 

She  was  half  across  the  room  in  an  instant,  looking 
at  me  in  terror,  with  her  hands  clasped  at  her  breast 
and  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  Are  you  awake  ?  "  she  asked  in  a  whisper. 

"  Yes,  Deborah,"  said  I,  "  and  I  am  very  tired. 
Will  you  not  come  and  fix  my  pillow  for  me?" 

She  was  by  me  in  an  instant,  rearranging  some 
thing  that  was  already  right,  murmuring  again  and 
again  as  she  did  so,  "  My  dear,  my  dear,  my  dear/' 
as  she  pushed  back  the  hair  from  my  forehead, 
straightened  the  counterpane  and  brought  me  some 
thing  to  drink — still  murmuring  "My  dear,  my  dear/' 
in  feverish  haste,  silently,  for  all  the  world  like  a 
quiet  worried  angel. 

"Deborah!" 

"  You  must  not  talk !  you  must  not  say  a  word," 
she  cried  out  under  her  breath,  putting  her  hand 
gently  over  my  mouth.  And  suddenly  she  knelt 
again  by  the  bedside  and  laid  her  head  close  to 
mine,  her  face  buried  in  the  pillow,  and  I  could  hear 
her  still  murmuring,  "  My  dear !  my  dear !  I  'm  so 
sorry,  so  sorry,  so  sorry ! " 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    f    281 

A  sudden  fear  seized  me,  and  I  pushed  myself 
instinctively  away  from  her  and  tried  to  speak.  Some 
sound  made  her  look  up  and  she  cried  out  in  a  fright 
ened  tone: 

"What  is  it?" 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  me  ?     Is  it  —  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  't  was  the  brain  fever.  Dr.  Low  says 
't  was  a  miracle  you  had  not  the  smallpox.  Aye, 
dear,"  she  went  on,  seeing  my  face,  "  let  us  both 
thank  God."  And  a  cool  hand  was  laid  on  my  fore 
head.  I  kept  still  a  moment,  my  eyes  closed  for 
very  weakness,  and  then,  with  some  struggle,  I  got 
my  arms  up  to  my  head  and  took  her  hand  and  put 
it  to  my  lips.  She  was  on  her  feet  again,  all  changed 
in  a  moment,  and  stood  by  me  looking  away  and 
saying  not  a  word.  She  might  have  drawn  her  hand 
away,  for  I  had  not  the  strength  to  hold  it,  but  there 
it  lay,  trembling  like  herself,  much  as  a  little  tame 
bird  might  lie  an  instant  in  your  hand,  half  for  com 
fort  staying,  half  for  fear  ready  to  fly.  So  I  stroked 
it,  and  laid  it  to  my  hot  cheek,  and  kissed  it  again, 
and  looked  up  at  her  standing  over  me. 

"  Dear,  will  you  forgive  me  ?  " 

For  answer  she  started  a  little,  the  colour  flying 
over  her  face;  and  then  she  stooped  and  lightly 
kissed  me  and  flew  out  of  the  room. 

The  thought  of  losing  her  was  too  much  for  me 
and  I  yelled  out  a  savage  cry  that  brought  her  back 
in  terror,  saying  that  I  would  die  if  I  lay  not  still. 

"  Then  stay  here !  "  I  said  hoarsely.  "  If  you  go 
away  I  —  I  will  get  out  of  bed ! "  Though  God 


282    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

knows  I  could  not  have  sat  up  to  save  my  life. 
"  Come  close  to  me  —  and  —  and  talk."  Something 
in  my  face  must  have  drawn  her,  for  she  came  and 
lay  upon  the  counterpane,  and  lifting  my  head  put 
it  upon  her  arm.  And  so  she  talked,  her  fair  head 
close  to  mine,  whispered  quietly  such  words  as  I 
would  no  more  put  to  paper,  even  if  I  could,  than 
I  would  tell  the  thoughts  of  my  inmost  soul  to  any 
one  but  God.  No  one  can  be  held  to  speak  of  this 
one  hour  of  his  life.  It  is  his  for  all  time  and  only 
his,  his  to  think  on  in  after  years,  in  times  of  stress 
and  trouble,  to  dream  on  year  by  year!  And  it  shall 
go  out  to  no  other,  for  it  is  true  and  sacred  and 
belongs  to  him  alone. 

So  thus  I  lay,  closing  my  eyes  from  weakness  and 
comfort,  yet  must  I  quickly  open  them  again,  because 
I  could  look  at  her  close  by  me  and  feared  she  would 
again  be  gone.  And  by  and  by  something  in  her 
words  set  my  head  a-going,  and  looking  at  her  I 
asked,  scarcely  by  means  of  words,  how  I  came  there. 

"  I  did  not  know,  dear !  We  thought  you  gone.  I 
dared  not  ask.  No  one  gave  me  a  hint,  till  one  day 
came  a  messenger  to  me  from  my  brother  in  his 
camp,  asking  if  you  were  dead  and  saying  where 
and  how  they  left  you."  And  for  a  space  she  could 
not  go  on ;  till,  looking  again,  I  saw  a  far-off  light 
in  the  depths  of  her  eyes,  different  from  anything  I 
had  yet  read  there.  I  have  said  it  a  dozen  times 
here,  yet  must  I  say  it  again:  Never  have  I  looked 
into  such  eyes,  so  different  with  every  flying  mood, 
so  much  a  tell-tale  of  her  thoughts. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    283 

"  And  then  I  caught  one  evening  at  dinner  a  hint 
that  finally  led  to  my  hearing  from  his  own  lips  of 
Captain  Atherton's  —  of  your  —  your  —  dear !  My 
dear !  —  of  that  morning  at  Corlear's  Hook."  Again 
she  lay  still.  Again  I  opened  my  eyes  and  she  went 
on :  "  He  had  such  a  strong,  manly  respect,  such  a 
chivalrous  remembrance  of  you  that  I  came  to  like 
him  and  trust  him,  and  told  him  of  Robert's  letter, 
and  begged  him  to  learn  something  of  you.  And  that 
day  he  began  going  through  every  prison  ship,  every 
place  where  men  were  confined,  on  the  plea  of  selecting 
those  who  had  smallpox.  And  each  night  he  would 
come  to  me  with  a  sorrowful  shake  of  his  head,  but 
hopeful  words  and  never  a  fear  or  complaint  of  the 
danger  he  ran. 

"  No  record  could  be  found  of  your  name.  You 
seemed  to  have  sunk  into  the  earth.  Then  he  tried 
to  tell  me  gently  that  he  believed  you  dead.  I  could 
not  hear  him  and  begged,  besought  him  to  go  again 
through  the  prisons.  I  asked  Sir  Henry  to  let  me  go 
and  nurse  the  sick,  that  I  might  look  for  you.  But 
he  would  not  hear  of  it,  and  only  laughed  at  me  for 
a  quixotic  miss." 

I  stroked  the  hand  that  lay  in  mine  gently,  and 
she  went  on. 

"  So  one  day  I  was  sitting  here  in  this  house  — 
indeed,  the  good  baroness  brought  me  here  and  kept 
me  with  her  constantly  —  when  Captain  Atherton 
came  to  us  running  up  the  street  and  cried  that  he 
had  found  you,  and  how,  and  that  you  were  very  ill, 
and  Dr.  Low  was  already  gone  to  see  if  you  —  your 


284   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   * 

life  —  might  yet  be  saved !  Dear,  can  you  think  what 
that  hour  of  waiting  was  to  me?  I  sat  here  by  the 
window,  while,  as  I  learned  afterwards,  this  best  of 
friends  told  the  captain  to  have  you  brought  to  her 
own  house  —  even  when  she  did  not  know  if  you 
might  not  have  the  dreadful  plague  —  and  told  the 
captain  all  your  story,  for  I  had  told  her. 

"  And  he,  finding  that  the  doctor  said  you  had 
nothing  contagious,  so  far  as  he  could  see,  though 
you  were  nearly  dead  from  fever  and  lack  of  food  — 
he  brought  you  here  in  a  cart  covered  with  straw 
and  vegetables  to  conceal  you.  And  that  was  over 
six  weeks  gone  now!  And  God,  the  good  God  be 
thanked  for  to-day,  when  you  opened  your  eyes  and 
I  saw  reason  there  for  the  first  time !  " 

The  brown  head  came  close  to  mine  and  lay  quietly 
except  for  the  shake  of  a  sob  now  and  then,  which 
she  tried  in  vain  to  suppress.  And  I,  what  of  me? 
Will  not  a  man  yet  complain  of  heaven?  There  I 
lay  cursing  my  illness,  for  that  I  was  too  weak  to 
take  her  in  my  arms,  and  could  do  naught  but  turn 
my  useless  head  to  one  side  and  put  my  lips  to  the 
white  sleeve  that  supported  me. 

Soon  I  pressed  her  hand,  and  she  looked  at  me.  I 
wanted  to  ask  much  and  knew  not  how,  but  only  said : 

"Curtis?" 

"  My  brother  ?  "  said  she.  "  You  would  know  how 
he  is?" 

I  nodded. 

"  Safe  and  sound  in  his  camp  at  Verplancks.  He 
got  away  in  a  boat  across  the  river." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    285 

"Acton?" 

"  Yes,  he  too,  Rob  says,  is  well  and  safe." 

Then  I  looked  at  her  steadily  and  said  not  a  word. 
And  she  sat  up  and  got  upon  the  floor,  with  sorrow 
in  her  face  and  something  like  dread  written  there, 
too. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,"  she  whispered,  standing  over 
me.  "  Some  one  else  must  do  it.  I  cannot !  I 
cannot !  " 

"  Oh,"  said  a  gruff  voice  behind  her,  "  oh,  go 
right  on !  Don't  mind  me !  Kill  him,  kill  him ! 
Egad,  ma'am,  why  don't  you  take  him  for  a  walk 
and  give  him  truffles  and  champagne?  Aye!  don't 
look  at  me,  and  plead  and  tell  me  this  and  that ! 
Just  bang  him  on  the  head.  He  's  good  and  strong, 
and  should  be  thrown  out  on  the  snow ! " 

'T  was  Low,  going  on  in  sarcastic  wrath,  and  she 
had  run  to  him  with  consternation  in  her  eyes. 

"  Ah,  Doctor,  Doctor,  have  I  done  wrong  ?  He 
said  he  would  get  up  and  follow  me  if  I  left  him." 

"  Get  up !  "  snorted  Low.  "  And  how  the  devil, 
ma'am,  think  you,  he  is  going  to  get  up  ?  Look  now ! 
his  cheeks  are  all  red  again !  Aye,  and  here  's  fever. 
Why,  you  young  reprobate  of  a  nurse,  have  I  taught 
ye  these  two  months  so  poorly  as  this  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Doctor !  "  cried  she,  in  real  alarm. 

"  Tut !  not  a  word !  But  run  and  get  him  some 
of  the  milk  and  wine  and  a  bit  of  rennet  — "  and 
she  was  gone  in  a  flash. 

"  Well,  lad,"  said  he  at  that.  "  Ye'll  fight  again, 
eh  ?  How  do  you  find  yourself  ? "  And  he  brought 


286    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   « 

a  bottle  of  some  nasty  liquid  and  poured  part  of  it 
into  a  spoon. 

"  I  need  none  of  your  bad  tasting  stuff,"  said  I, 
trying  to  laugh. 

"Oho,"  said  he.  "No  nasty  stuff!  I  suppose 
you  've  been  having  that  that  tastes  better  than  good 
iron,  eh?  Well,  well,  lad,"  and  his  voice  changed, 
"  't  is  the  best  medicine  God  could  send  ye.  But 
remember  you  've  no  more  backbone  in  you  than  a 
bit  of  cake,  and  go  not  too  far.  Here,"  he  added. 
"  Look  at  that !  "  and  he  held  a  little  mirror  before 
my  eyes. 

And  if  truth  be  told,  't  was  a  wretched-looking 
man  that  gazed  out  at  me,  with  a  great  black  growth 
of  beard  covering  my  crooked  features,  with  hollow 
eyes  gazing  out  of  a  sunken,  sallow-skinned  visage 
that  gave  me  a  start  to  think  on. 

"  A  nice  pirate,"  said  he  again,  "  eh  ?  to  be  going 
on  talking  and  fandangling  with  pretty  girls.  Ah! 
Mistress  Debby!  Bring  it  here,  and  go  and  lock 
yourself  up  in  the  garret,  young  woman."  But  I 
would  not  have  it  and  swore  I  would  not  eat  till 
she  gave  it  me  herself.  And  so,  grumbling  as  he 
did  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  she  sat  down  on  the 
bedside  and  fed  me  with  a  spoon  and  said  not  a 
word;  but  then  what  mattered  it  since  I  could  look 
at  her  and  she  at  me?  When  I  had  done  she  went 
away  again  and  I  asked  Low  the  question  I  could 
not  put  to  her.  His  face  clouded  at  once. 

"  Dead,  lad.  Dead  before  they  got  him  to  Paulus' 
Hook.  Bob  Philipse  wrote  to  her  and  told  her.  'T  is 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—   *    287 

a  good  riddance,  for  there  never  was  a  fouler  friend 
nor  foe  than  Frank  Pendleton." 

My  head  sank  back  upon  the  pillow,  and  the  sweat 
came  out  on  my  face  as  I  ran  over  the  night  again. 

"  Let  it  not  worry  thee,  lad,"  went  on  the  doctor 
gently.  "  I  know  the  whole  tale  from  another  source 
than  Philipse's  letter.  You  drowned  a  rat,  that 's  all. 
Now  get  ye  to  sleep,  and  when  you  wake  up  again, 
you  '11  be  a  hundred  per  centum  the  stronger." 

So  he  left  me  alone,  and  I  lay  watching  the  door 
for  some  one  else,  but  before  she  came  I  had  done 
his  bidding. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

A   CASE  OF   "  NONE  BUT  THE 

9 F  •  "^  IS  wonderful  what  a  day  of  sleep  will  do 
to  a  man.  When  I  awoke  and  found  Low — 
JL  't  was  high  noon  next  day  —  ready  to  take 
off  my  bandages  and  dress  my  wound,  I  would  for 
awhile  sit  up,  and  did  so.  And  after  he  had  strapped 
me  up  again  the  baroness  came  in  with  my  breakfast, 
and,  noting  something  in  my  face,  apologised  for  her 
self  as  a  nurse,  saying  that  my  real  nurse  was  out 
for  an  airing  with  Captain  Atherton  —  which,  to  tell 
good  truth,  but  irritated  me  —  and  that  shortly  she 
would  return.  I  told  her  of  my  gratitude  for  her 
kindness  —  more  than  kindness  —  to  me,  and  she 
would  have  it  that  't  was  not  for  me  at  all,  but  only 
on  behalf  of  Mistress  Debby  that  I  was  there. 

"  The  dear  girl  began  to  grow  ill  after  the  night 
you  disappeared,"  said  she.  "  Something,  I  knew  not 
what,  was  gnawing  at  her  heart.  And  when  her  broth 
er's  letter  came  she  was  nearly  frantic  with  grief,  and 
came  then  and  told  me  much  that  I  had  guessed  before. 
Then  came  Captain  Atherton  to  her  aid  —  and  you 
owe  much  to  him.  We  are  not  all/'  she  added,  smiling 
sadly,  "  we  are  not  all  tyrants  and  villains,  you  see." 

"  You  are  more  than  kind  friends,"  I  said  seriously. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    289 

"  You  and  the  captain  are  risking  your  lives  to  help 
an  enemy." 

She  laughed  again. 

"  'T  was  but  to  save  a  young  chit's  life,"  said  she. 
"  Of  course  we  cared  naught  for  you." 

"  You  are  good  and  kind,  dear  lady,  beyond  com 
prehension,"  I  answered,  and  she  gave  me  her  hand 
frankly.  "And  your  little  daughters  brought  me  back 
to  the  world  in  a  way  I  shall  never  forget." 

"  They  are  nearly  as  bad  as  Debby,"  said  she,  with 
the  pleasure  showing  in  her  face  that  always  came 
there  when  she  spoke  of  her  children.  "  We  could 
do  naught  with  Debby.  Day  by  day  she  sat  here  by 
you  and  watched  and  listened  to  your  dreadful  ravings, 
and  heard  you  crying  out  at  her  cousin,  and  then  call 
ing  on  her  name,  telling  her  in  a  vibrant  voice  "  — 
and  she  smiled,  though  she  seemed  still  startled  at 
the  remembrance  of  it  — "  the  particular  place  she 
held  in  your  affections,  which  men  usually  whisper, 
I  hear,  in  the  silence  of  solitude." 

"Did  I  do  so?  "I  asked. 

"  For  twenty-four  hours  in  the  day,  week  after 
week,  and  I  have  seen  her  sitting  here  looking  at  you 
as  if  her  heart  would  break,  wringing  her  hands  and 
begging  Dr.  Low  to  make  you  hear  her  and  under 
stand." 

"  What  can  I  ever  do  for  her  to  repay  half,  or  for 
you  either  ?  I  wonder  that  she  kept  her  health  ?  " 

"  Once  we  tried  to  get  her  away,"  she  continued. 
"  And  by  Dr.  Low's  orders  she  went  to  her  room.  But 
in  the  night  your  cries  nearly  drove  her  mad,  and, 

19 


29o    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

though  the  doctor  said  't  would  undermine  her  health, 
I  went  to  her,  and  she  begged  me  on  her  knees  to  let 
her  go  in  to  you,  and  —  and  — "  smiling  brightly, 
"  and  she  asked  me  how  would  I  feel  if  the  baron 
were  ill  and  I  shut  in  another  room  away  from  him! 
That  was  a  shrewd  little  argument." 

The  tears  stood  in  her  eyes  and  in  mine,  too.  What 
had  the  girl  not  done  for  me,  with  never  a  word  of 
explanation  from  me  to  set  her  mind  at  rest? 

"  Where  is  she?"  I  asked,  a  little  huskily.  "  Why 
does  she  not  come  to  me  ?  " 

With  a  laugh  the  baroness  got  up,  and  saying 
that  we  were  apparently  a  pair,  went  in  search  of  her. 
But  she  did  not  come  and  the  day  waned.  The  bright 
afternoon  faded  to  sundown,  and  still  she  did  not 
come.  Some  one  brought  in  lamps  and  at  last  the 
baroness  appeared  with  an  amused,  yet  puzzled  look 
in  her  face. 

"Is  she  not  coming  to  say  good  night  to  me?"  I 
asked. 

"  I  do  riot  quite  understand  her,"  said  she.  "  Poor 
girl,  she's  tired  and  worried." 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked  again.  "Is  there  some 
thing  wrong  ?  " 

She  smiled  again. 

"  I  think  she  is  a  little  afraid,"  said  the  baroness. 

It    T   » 

"  Afraid?    Afraid  of  what?  "  I  asked. 

"  Well,  I  scarcely  know,"  she  answered  again. 
"  I  —  "  and  then,  leaning  over  to  me,  "  Shall  I  tell 
you  a  dreadful  secret  about  women  ? " 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    291 

I  looked  at  her  in  amazement. 

"  I  think  —  I  am  afraid  —  "  Then  she  stopped, 
and  a  pretty  flush  went  over  her  face.  "  I'm  afraid 
women  like  —  a  —  little  masterful  treatment !  "  And, 
as  I  am  a  sinner,  off  she  went  like  any  young  girl 
with  the  fires  on  her  cheeks. 

I  lay  back  in  my  bed  an  instant,  and  then  called  her 
back. 

"  Dear  baroness,"  I  said,  "  will  you  enter  a  little 
conspiracy  with  me  ?  " 

She  nodded  brightly. 

"I  shall  be  very  ill  again/'  said  I.  "And  shall 
shriek  some  more.  Will  you  chance  to  pass  by 
with  —  ?  " 

"  Do  you  happen  to  have  any  idea,  young  man, 
where  she  has  been  these  three  hours  ?  " 

I  had  not  the  least,  unless  out  walking  with  Captain 
Atherton. 

"  She  is  sitting  just  outside  that  door  by  the  window 
in  the  hall." 

I  simply  signed  to  her  to  begin  the  conspiracy,  and 
she  passed  out,  leaving  the  door  ajar.  I  waited  a 
moment  and  then  began  to  talk,  and  rambled  on, 
getting  louder  and  louder,  till  finally  I  yelled  out  a 
lot  of  idiotic  nonsense  putting  in  her  name.  Then 
I  paused  and  heard  through  the  doorway  much  whis 
pering,  and  howled  again,  hearing  in  a  moment,  "  Oh 
what  is  it  ?  Can  it  be  true  ?  Again  ?  "  That  voice 
hit  my  conscience  hard,  but  I  yelled  out  again.  Where 
upon  the  door  opened  and  in  she  came  running  to 
me  and  speaking  my  name  softly  and  taking  my  hand. 


292    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

In  a  moment  I  had  her  fast  by  the  arm. 

"  Where  have  you  been  all  day,  madam  ?  " 

She  stood  back,  looking  at  me  in  wonder,  but  she 
could  not  escape. 

"  Sit  down,  dear  heart,"  said  I.  "  Sit  down,  sit 
down.  'T  was  all  a  conspiracy  to  get  you  in  here." 

Then  I  thought  she  would  be  angry,  but  with  a 
flush  she  said: 

"  I  am  too  relieved  to  be  offended,  but  't  was  not 
fair,  was  it  ?  " 

"  No,  dear,  't  was  a  cowardly  trick.    But  Deborah !  " 

Down  went  the  face  and  the  eyes  looked  around 
the  floor,  as  she  sat  by  my  bed. 

"  Debby,  look  at  me." 

The  eyes  never  moved. 

"  Deborah,  is  it  necessary  for  me,  sitting  here  done 
up  in  five  miles  of  rags,  too  absurdly  weak  to  stand 
up  —  is  it  necessary  for  me  to  make  love  to  you  ?  " 
Up  came  the  eyes  straight  at  me  with  some  of  the 
old  fearless  fire  in  them.  "  Do  you  want  me  to  ask 
you  to  marry  me  ?  " 

There  was  an  instant's  silence  and  then  she  sud 
denly  gave  way  to  a  burst  of  merry  laughter. 

"  It  seems  to  me,  sir,"  with  a  toss  of  her  head, 
"  that  you  put  your  question  a  bit  late  in  the  day, 
since  we  have  been  married  now  some  six  months." 

That  sobered  me,  for  I  remembered  that  I  knew 
something  still  unknown  to  her,  and  sitting  there  by 
the  light  of  the  lamp  I  told  her  of  the  comrade  who 
had  helped  me  in  the  Sugar  House,  and  what  he 
knew  of  Marvin. 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   v    293 

For  a  moment  she  sat  quietly  looking-  away  from 
me,  her  hands  lying  in  her  lap.  Then,  turning  to 
me  with  a  depth  in  her  beautiful  eyes  that  seemed 
so  new  and  recent,  she  gently  laid  her  hand  in  mine 
and  sat  there  looking  at  me  without  a  word  for  minute 
after  minute;  till  I  leaned  forward  and  took  her  fair, 
serious  face  in  my  two  hands  and  drew  it  toward  me 
and  kissed  it  once,  twice,  and  asked: 

"  Are  you  happy,  Deborah  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear,"  said  she,  simply.  — 

"  Well,  what  the  devil  do  I  care,  madam  ?  I  've 
got  to  dress  the  man's  wound.  Egad,  they  can't 
bill  and  coo  twenty-four  hours  in  the  day.  Let  me 
in ! "  This  from  the  other  side  of  the  door.  A 
whispered  pleading  was  his  answer. 

"  Not  at  all !  He  can't  get  up  till  he  's  well.  So 
in  I  go.  "  And  in  he  came,  puffing  and  fuming,  and 
unwound  and  wound  me  up  again. 

It  was  as  he  was  rewinding  the  bandages  after 
dressing  the  wound  that  the  door  opened  and  Ather- 
ton  came  in.  Up  he  strode  to  me,  with  something 
of  a  shamefaced  look  and  shook  hands. 

"  How  are  ye,  old  man,"  said  he,  as  if  he  had  seen 
me  and  talked  but  yesterday. 

"Right  and  fit,  friend,"  said  I,  and  then  we  fell 
to  silence.  'T  is  ever  a  strange  thing  to  me,  and  yet 
something  I  cannot  fail  to  like,  to  see,  as  I  did  now, 
two  Anglo-Saxons  trying  to  hide  all  the  good  feel 
ings  in  them.  Even  Low  laughed  out  as  he  worked 
on  and  said: 

"What's  the  price  of  beer?" 


294    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  'Gad !  I  'd  like  some  now,  eh,  Balfort  ?  "  cried 
Atherton,  and,  growing  easier,  he  sat  down  and 
watched  the  skilful  hands  of  the  doctor.  I  stretched 
out  and  took  his  hand. 

"  Captain,"  said  I,  "  you  've  done  more  for  me  than 
any  —  " 

"  Tut,  tut,  man,"  cried  he,  wringing  my  poor  weak 
hand  till  it  ached.  "  Not  a  word !  'T  was  nothing. 
Let  it  pass.  Doctor,  for  God's  sake  give  us  a  drink! 
Is  there  naught  of  alcohol  in  this  house  ?  " 

"  Drink,  you  big  fool !  "  cried  Low.  "  Do  you  want 
to  kill  him?" 

"  Oh,  he  's  fit  to  fight  again,  and  show  me  what  a 
man  can  do  besides  fight." 

"  Look  ye  here,  Atherton,"  said  I  seriously.  "  I  'm 
your  prisoner.  What  will  you  do  with  me?" 

"Hell!"  said  he.  "Let's  talk  of  something 
pleasanter." 

"  That  I  will  not,  man,"  I  answered.  "  I  must  get 
away  and  you  cannot  let  me  go." 

He  looked  at  me  an  instant,  and  I  knew  the  same 
thought  had  been  in  his  mind  since  he  heard  I  could 
recover. 

"  Balfort,"  he  said  in  a  moment,  "  will  you  give  me 
your  parole  till  the  end  of  the  war  ?  " 

I  knew  it  long  before  he  said  it,  and  leaning  back 
on  my  pillow,  I  told  him  I  could  not. 

"  Give  ye  his  parole,  you  raving  idiot,"  cried  Low 
—  never  was  such  an  actor  lived  as  that  same  chirur- 
geon.  "  Why,  look,  man !  look !  "  and  with  that  he 
unwound  the  bandages  he  had  begun  to  replace  and 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *    295 

laid  bare  the  wound.  I  looked  down  at  it  and  my 
gorge  rose  at  the  sight.  'T  was  a  slit,  a  ragged  cut 
from  my  right  hip  up  along  the  ribs  near  to  my 
shoulder,  a  good  twelve  inches.  Only  by  the  grace 
of  chance  was  it  that  Hazeltine's  point  had  not  caught 
on  a  rib  and  gone  through  me.  And  the  edges  stood 
even  now  far  apart  and  ugly  and  irregular. 

"  Parole  ?  "  went  on  the  doctor.  "  Why,  man,  he 
cannot  hold  a  sword  for  a  year !  " 

Atherton  looked  at  it  and  took  my  hand  again. 

"  Friend/'  said  he,  "  will  ye  give  me  your  parole 
for  six  months  ?  To  tell  ye  the  truth,  your  army  can 
not  hold  out  that  long,  and  I  am  safe." 

By  chance  I  caught  the  doctor's  eye,  and  knew  in 
some  way  that  he  bade  me  accept  it,  so,  lying  back 
again,  I  told  Atherton  I  would. 

"  Then  I  get  you  out  of  here  when  you  can  move." 

Again  I  gave  him  my  hand  and  thanked  him  till 
he  swore  he  'd  hear  no  more  and  went  off  with  Low. 

And  so  the  days  passed  on,  quickly  enough  for  a 
matter  of  three  weeks.  And  then,  beginning  to  feel 
stronger,  I  commenced  to  fret  and  worry  and  wonder 
when  I  would  get  away  and  what  was  happening  at 
West  Point,  and  where  were  my  companions  in  Put 
nam's  division,  and  what  of  Curtis  —  or  Philipse,  as 
I  should  call  him  —  and  Acton.  I  was  up  now  and 
walking  over  the  house,  but  not  allowed  to  go  out. 
I  talked  with  Low  when  we  were  alone  about  the  best 
way  of  going,  and  he  had  a  plan  all  arranged.  But  I 
had  another  that  was  worth  ten  of  his,  for  that  it  had 
another  purpose,  which  I  could  only  talk  over  with 


296    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   v 

one  other  person,  and  that  one  the  baroness.  Her 
husband  had  been  away  all  the  time  in  the  South 
with  his  Germans,  and  so  I  saw  much  of  her  —  much 
of  every  one,  in  fact,  except  Mistress  Debby,  who 
would  talk  with  me  less  and  less. 

So  one  day  I  broached  my  plan  to  the  good  lady. 
At  first  she  said  't  would  be  impossible,  and  then,  her 
eyes  shining,  she  said  I  should  do  it,  if  she  could 
bring  it  about.  And  we  began  the  scheme  by  her  tell 
ing  my  proud  mistress  that  I  was  shortly  going  away. 

When  next  I  got  a  word  with  her,  we  had  but  just 
finished  tea  and  were  walking  in  the  great  drawing- 
room,  she  and  I.  I  saw  how  silent  she  was,  and  with 
some  misgivings  began: 

"  Deborah." 

"Yes?" 

"  Deborah,  soon  I  must  get  back  to  my  camp,"  said 
I,  gently. 

"  You  cannot  go !  You  would  not  go,  would  you  ?  " 
cried  she.  "  You  are  not  well  enough.  Will  you  leave 
me?" 

"  I  am  quite  well  now,"  I  answered,  as  quietly  as 
I  could. 

"  You  are  not !  you  are  not !  "  she  murmured,  taking 
hold  of  my  arm  and  looking  at  me.  "  You  could  not 
stand  the  dreadful  camp  life." 

"  I  must,  dear.    I  cannot  waste  my  life  here." 

"Waste?"  said  she,  slowly. 

"  You  know  well  what  I  mean." 

She  sat  down  then,  and  I  by  her,  and  naught  was 
said  for  a  while. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    297 

"  I  cannot  let  you  go !  "  said  she,  presently. 

"  There  's  one  way  out  of  it,"  said  I. 

Up  came  her  troubled  face  and  looked  at  me. 

"  Will  you  come  with  me  ?  " 

The  fair  face  set,  and  the  eyes  looked  straight  into 
mine. 

"  I  would  go  anywhere  in  the  world  with  you.  But 
what  could  you  do  with  me  in  a  camp  ?  " 

"  What  did  the  Baroness  Riedesel  in  her  castle  in 
Germany,  when  her  husband  left  her  for  a  camp  three 
thousand  miles  across  the  sea  ?  " 

"  And  brought  her  children  with  her,  too,"  she  mur 
mured.  Then,  looking  up,  she  added  hastily,  "  I  do 
not  fear  to  go,  believe  me,  dear." 

"  I  never  once  thought  you  did."  And  the  baroness 
coming  in  then,  she  ran  to  her  and  threw  her  arms 
around  her  neck  and  kissed  her.  I  stood  by  a  mo 
ment,  and  then  the  little  lady  turned  towards  me,  laid 
her  two  hands  in  mine,  and,  looking  at  me  and  at  the 
baroness,  she  said: 

"  I  '11  go  gladly.     Wilt  take  me?  " 

"  Aye,  that  I  will,  Debby  dear,  and  God  bless  your 
brave  heart.  'T  will  be  a  different  life  from  this,  and 
you  do  not  like  the  cause." 

"  'T  is  yours  and  shall  be  mine.  And  't  is  Robert's 
too." 

"  We  have  a  little  plan,"  said  the  baroness  to  her, 
"  Merton  and  I.  You  shall  be  married  here  in  this 
house,  and  Captain  Atherton  will  get  you  out." 

"  Oh !  "  cried  the  brazen  minx.  "  I  think  I  '11  go 
as  I  am." 


298    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    * 

"  What !  "  cried  the  baroness. 

"  I  'm  married  enough  now,"  quoth  the  lady  with 
a  twinkle  in  her  eye. 

"  You  naughty  girl ! "  said  the  scandalised  matron 
again. 

"  T  is  but  a  form/'  said  Deborah,  "  and  I  'm  satis 
fied  now." 

"  Lieber  Herr  Je,"  cried  the  horrified  baroness,  rais 
ing  her  hands  and  looking  at  the  girl  in  amazement. 

I  could  stand  it  no  longer,  but  must  spoil  all  by 
laughing. 

"  What  have  you  two  in  your  heads  ?  "  asked  the 
mystified  lady. 

"  Naught  but  this,  ma'am,"  said  Mistress  Deborah, 
and  with  a  sweeping  courtesy  she  took  'from  her  bodice 
a  paper  and  handed  it  to  the  astonished  matron. 

Twas  now  my  turn  to  be  astonished,  and  going 
to  the  baroness,  I  looked  over  her  shoulder,  and  read 
the  scrawling  signature  of  "  James  Marvin,  Minister 
of  the  Gospel,"  and  Deborah's  and  mine,  and  the  state 
ment  above  them.  Then  I  turned  to  her  with  some 
thing  rising  in  my  throat : 

"You  have  kept  this  all  the  time?"  I  asked. 

She  nodded. 

"And  you  would  not  let  me  keep  it?"  I  asked 
again. 

"  No,  sir !  for  I  valued  it  more  than  you." 

"That  you  did  not,  madam!  nor  half  as  much, 
then !  "  said  I,  defiantly. 

"That  I  did,  good  sir!  and  fifty  times  as  much 
then!"  said  she,  with  a  courtesy.  _. 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    299 

"  Children  !  children  !  "  cried  the  baroness,  "  stop 
your  bickering,  and  tell  me  what  in  heaven's  name 
this  means." 

So  we  sat  her  down  between  us  and  told  her,  with 
much  more  "  bickering,"  as  she  called  it,  the  only  part 
of  the  story  she  had  not  already  heard. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

THE   IDEA  OF   MISTRESS  DEBBY 

"  'W  "IT  T  ELL,  madam,  you  seem  greatly  pleased 
\/\/  with  yourself/'  said  I,  a  week  later,  as 
T  T  we  rode  two  staunch  beasts  northward 
towards  Tarrytown. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,  I  am  quite  at  my  ease.  I  trust 
that  your  highness  is  pleased  with  me,"  and  Debby 
looked  across  at  me  with  a  species  of  self-contained 
smile  from  under  the  hood,  or  cap,  or  whatever  the 
thing  she  wore  was  called.  It  was  this  self-same  smile, 
which  I  had  noted  throughout  the  day  and  which 
seemed  to  conceal  something,  that  made  me  put  the 
query. 

"  Madam,"  said  I,  "  I  have  the  honour  to  love  your 
ladyship,  and  it  would  be  difficult  for  you  to  displease 
me  at  the  moment." 

"  Do  not  be  so  sure,  Monsieur  Merton !  You  have 
a  very  bad  temper,  as  I  —  " 

"Oh,  have  I?" 

"Yes,  now  that  I  think  of  it,  you  have  frequently 
treated  me  atrociously." 

"When,  if  it  please  you?" 

"  Well,  once  on  a  time,  when  a  certain  wayward 
maiden  —  " 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    *    301 

"  Wayward  maiden !     I  should  think  so  —  " 

"  When  a  certain  wayward  maiden  asked  a  churlish 
horseman  to  help  her  from  her  broken  coach,  and  he 
started  to  ride  away  —  " 

"  Ah,  but  Debby  dear,  I  did  not  know  you  then !  " 

"  There  is  no  question  of  that  just  now." 

"Well?" 

"  Again,  when  some  one,  being  but  a  weak  and  shy 
girl  —  " 

"  God  save  the  mark !  Good  again !  Weak  and 
fiddlesticks!" 

"  When  a  very  shy  maiden  objected  to  having  a 
highwayman  climb  in  at  her  chamber  window  —  " 

"  Not  at  all !  "  said  I,  for  that  was  still  a  sore  point. 
"  Not  at  all !  'T  was  the  hall  window,  in  the  first 
place ;  and,  furthermore,  I  would  have  you  to  know, 
Debby,  that  you  might  have  recognised  an  honest  man, 
and  believed,  too,  that  I  would  never  have  intruded 
myself  upon  you,  had  it  not  been  for  your  own 
good." 

"  If  I  mistake  not,"  said  she,  with  a  sweet  and  inno 
cent  smile,  "  some  great  lord  said  but  a  moment  ago 
that  he  had  no  temper  and  could  not  be  irritated  by  —  " 

"  I  said  just  so,"  I  persisted,  in  truth  a  bit  disturbed 
by  the  innocent  demeanour  I  knew  now  so  well.  "  But 
it  is  not  fair  to  throw  such  things  in  my  face !  " 

She  doubled  up  in  the  saddle  and  laughed  merrily 
for  a  moment;  and  then,  looking  up  at  me,  she  said: 

"  Merton,  dear,  if  you  could  but  look  at  that  great 
serious  face  of  yours  once  in  the  while,  you  would 
certainly  die  of  laughing." 


302    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —    * 

"  My  face,  Mistress  Deborah,  is  no  doubt  —  " 

,But  she  turned  her  horse  suddenly  towards  me  and 
put  her  little  gloved  hand  over  my  mouth. 

"  You  stupid !  Never  tell  me  I  cannot  anger  you ! 
Dost  not  know,  sir,  that  I  shall  have  to  spend  all  the 
time  you  have  off  duty  teaching  you  some  kind  of  a 
sense  of  humour?  Why,  Merton,  my  friend,  I  could 
make  you  so  mad  in  two  seconds  that  you  would  jump 
up  and  down  and  kick  the  furniture,  and  doubtless 
draw  that  huge  sword  of  yours  and  brandish  it  over 
my  head." 

"  Come  here,  madam,  and  I  will  chastise  your  dis 
respectful  mouth  now,"  and  I  turned  towards  her. 
But  she  sent  her  nag  kiting  ahead  at  a  gallop,  and  I 
started  hot  in  pursuit  —  angry,  pleased,  and  above  all, 
so  happy  with  her  for  my  companion  that  I  forgot  all 
else  —  forgot  our  present  position,  until  I  saw  a  Brit 
ish  soldier  step  into  the  road  ahead  of  us  and  call  her 
to  a  halt.  I  was  by  her  side  in  an  instant ;  and,  giving 
my  passes  to  the  picket,  followed  him  into  the  guard 
house  of  the  Tarrytown  outpost. 

As  we  turned  into  the  same  room  where  I  had  had 
so  narrow  an  escape  but  a  few  months  before,  a  fa 
miliar  voice  cried  out :  "  How  de  do,  Captain  Hazel- 
tine  "  —  and  I  turned  with  a  start  to  see  the  officer 
called  Majoribanks,  who  had  been  so  muddled  on  that 
memorable  day.  He  took  the  passes  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  as  he  read  said: 

"  You  look  ill,  Captain ;  somewhat  thinner  than 
when  I  saw  you  — "  Then  his  eye  caught  what  he 
was  reading,  and  he  stopped.  "  Mistress  Deborah 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *   303 

Philipse,"  he  read  aloud,  "and  Captain  Merton! 
What  is  this,  sir?" 

I  was  on  the  point  of  replying,  when  Debby  plucked 
him  by  the  sleeve  and  made  a  sign  with  her  head  to 
signify  that  he  was  to  send  the  picket  out  of  the  room. 
He  seemed  to  understand;  and  when  we  were  alone 
she  spoke  before  I  could  get  in  a  word. 

"  Captain  Hazeltine  goes  frequently  under  assumed 
names,  sir,  by  special  orders." 

"  Oh/'  said  the  officer,  somewhat  doubtfully,  still 
fingering  the  papers.  Then  I  bethought  me,  and  took 
out  the  pass  given  me  by  the  Commander-in-Chief. 

"  Here  's  the  old  one,  Captain,  if  it  be  of  any  use  to 
you." 

"  Quite  right,  Captain !  Quite  right !  Pardon  my 
hesitation.  But,  to  be  frank  with  you,  several  men 
escaped  —  prisoners,  you  understand  —  but  a  day  or 
so  ago  on  stolen  passports,  and  I  had  a  reprimand 
from  General  Patterson  that  will  last  me  for  a  good 
long  life  to  come." 

And  so  we  hurried  forth  and  northward. 

"  Debby,"  said  I,  shortly,  "  Debby,  upon  my  soul 
you  have  fifty  times  the  wit  that  I  have." 

"  It  does  not  need  for  you  to  tell  me  that,  sir !  "  said 
she.  "  Another  instant  and  you  would  have  said : 
'  Sir  Officer,  I  am  Merton  Balfort,  American,  fighting 
against  his  Majesty  the  King!  Hang  me  if  you  like, 
but  remember  that  I  am  none  of  your  British  soldier, 
nor  yet  a  spy  of  that  great  monarch/  " 

"Your  pardon,  mistress,  'his  Majesty  the  King'?" 

"  Ah,  dear  sir,"  said  she,  bowing  low  in  her  saddle. 


304   *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   v 

"  'T  is  my  first  lesson,  eh  ?  Pardon  me.  I  should  have 
said  '  that  dissolute  monarch  —  er  —  man,  George  the 
Third.' " 

"  Debby,"  said  I,  "  you  are  an  angel !  Will  you  draw 
your  horse  up  and  permit  me  to  kiss  your  ladyship  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  will  not !  I  do  not  think  I  should  allow 
it  in  any  case  just  now,  but  certainly  not  upon  the  high 
way.  And  I  wish  you  to  understand,  Merton  Balfort, 
that  I  am  not  yet  a  rebel  —  er  —  that  is,  that  George 
the  Third  is  still  the  king." 

"Yes,   Mistress  Balfort." 

Up  came  her  face  towards  me  at  the  mention  of  her 
new  name,  and  leaning  over  her  horse  she  put  her 
hand  in  mine,  and  said  not  a  word  as  we  rode  along. 

"  I  am  too  happy  to  stand  it,  Debby,"  said  I, 
presently. 

"  Well,  I  should  be  happy  too,"  said  she,  "  if  I  knew 
how  we  were  to  live  in  the  near  future." 

"  If  you  think  of  that  so  seriously,  why  is  it  that  all 
day  you  have  been  chuckling  to  yourself  ?  " 

"  Oh,  never  mind !  I  have  certain  thoughts,  and  — 
and  —  certain  knowledge  of  my  own." 

"Tell  me." 

"  Not  for  the  world." 

"  Tell  me  this  instant !    I  am  your  husband." 

"  Sakes !  You  begin  so  soon,  do  you  ?  Very  well, 
then,  listen  to  this :  I  will  tell  you  not  one  single  word ! 
Now  what  doth  thy  noble  husbandness  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  I  say  't  is  outrageous  and  unwifely !  But  let 
it  lie;  for  here  are  we  come  to  the  house  where  we 
may  stay  for  the  night,  and  that  ends  it." 


*    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v  305 

It  was  the  home  of  a  man  whom  Atherton  had 
bidden  us  to  by  note,  saying  that  we  would  get  good 
food  and  lodging,  and  no  questions  asked.  And,  in 
deed,  we  were  in  sore  need  of  rest  and  comfort!  I 
had  urged  pushing  on  thus  far  that  we  might  clear 
the  foul  neutral  country  ahead  of  us  the  next  day 
while  daylight  held,  and  make  the  camp  at  Verplancks 
by  the  next  night.  But,  good  horsewoman  as  Debby 
was,  she  was  nigh  done  for,  and  was  more  than  will 
ing  to  retire  as  soon  as  she  had  eaten. 

Early  in  the  morning  we  were  again  off,  and,  still 
noting  that  my  fair  companion  had  something  on  her 
mind,  I  was  marvelling  what  it  might  be,  when  the 
lay  of  the  land  along  the  road  began  to  look  familiar 
and  I  recognised  ahead  of  us  the  old  tavern  kept  by 
Gowan  as  it  lay  hiding  itself  under  the  hill.  I  turned 
quickly  to  Debby  and  found  her  smiling  mysteriously 
at  me. 

"  You  know  the  spot?  "  I  asked. 

"  Quite  well,"  said  she,  "  and  I  have  a  mind  to  stop, 
and  visit  Master  Gowan." 

"  Not  by  any  means !  "  said  I,  decidedly.  "  The 
place  may  be  the  house  of  our  wedding,  but  just  now 
't  is  no  place  for  you." 

"  And  yet  I  would  stop  there  a  while,  and  —  will!  " 
What  a  world  of  vigour  was  there  in  that  last  small 
word! 

I  urged,  commanded,  —  nay,  tried  force,  —  but  to 
no  purpose.  In  we  must  go.  So,  dismounting,  I 
called  for  a  hand  to  take  our  horses,  and  in  we  went 
a  second  time  to  the  dim  old  tavern. 

20 


3o6    *    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   * 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  little  chuckle  behind  me  as 
I  stopped  suddenly  on  the  sill  and  saw  —  sitting  as 
if  in  camp,  perfectly  at  their  ease  —  John  Acton, 
with  a  huge  pewter  of  ale  before  him,  Robert  Curtis 
—  or  Philipse,  as  he  should  be  called  —  and,  sitting 
at  the  same  table  between  these  two,  that  sombre  old 
robber  Marvin. 

Up  rose  the  three  as  I  turned  to  Deborah  and  saw 
in  an  instant  that  she  knew  all  —  nay,  that  she  had 
done  the  planning  to  bring  it  all  about. 

"  Aha !  Merton,  my  friend,  here  you  be  at  last ! " 
cried  Acton,  shaking  us  by  the  hand. 

Curtis  smiled  quietly  and  gave  me  his  friendly  hand 
clasp,  and  I  had  begun  to  express  my  surprise  when 
Acton  turned  me  about  and  cried: 

"  Here,  man !  Here  is  the  Reverend  James  Marvin 
to  welcome  ye !  " 

"  Marvin,"  said  I,  slowly,  "  you  are  a  thieving 
scoundrel,  and  I  have  a  mind  to  run  this  blade  through 
your  belly ! " 

"  And  yet,'"  said  the  cool  villain,  "  't  was  I  married 
ye  to  the  girl  ye  would  most  have !  " 

"  Married  me,  you  scoundrel  ?  "  cried  I.  "  Aye,  at 
the  point  of  a  pistol !  " 

"  And  would  ye  have  me  undo  it  now  ?  " 

"  That  is  none  of  your  affair,  man !  Do  you  get 
out  of  here  before  I  send  you  to  the  place  where  you 
belong!" 

"Tut,  tut!  Merton,"  laughed  Acton,  "the  Rev 
erend  Doctor  is  here  by  the  special  invitation  of  a 
lady." 


¥    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   v    307 

I  wheeled  about  and  looked  at  Debby. 

"  You  see,  Merton,  dear,"  —  and  for  the  first  time 
since  I  had  known  her  I  believe  she  was  a  bit  uneasy, 
—  "  you  see  I  did  not  feel  just  sure  I  was  really  — 
you  see  —  I  did  n't  —  " 

"  Feel  quite  sure  whether  she  was  Mistress  Balfort, 
or  Philipse,  or  king's  subject,  or  rebel,  or  —  " 

"  Merton,"  interrupted  Curtis,  "  this  was  all  ar 
ranged  by  Debby,  and  we  are  here  to  witness  the 
wedding/' 

I  looked  again  at  her  and  found  her  brown  eyes 
grown  large  with  anxiety.  And,  for  my  sins,  I  caught 
the  glint  of  a  big  tear  ready  to  break  loose  at  the  first 
signal.  What  could  a  big  fool  like  me  do  but  take 
her  hand  and  turn  again  to  the  scoundrel  that,  some 
how,  I  could  not  feel  much  real  anger  against. 

"  Marvin,  you  thief,"  said  I,  "  because  of  this  fair 
lady  you  go  free  for  this  once.  Do  you  marry  me  to 
her  here  and  now!  But  if  I  ever  run  across  you 
again,  I  '11  slit  you  in  two  —  I  will,  so  help  me  —  " 
But  I  could  get  no  further,  for  even  Curtis  began  to 
laugh  at  such  a  wedding. 

And  so  there  in  that  same  grim  room  the  old  wretch 
did  indeed  marry  us  again,  while  Debby  placed  a  hand 
that  shook  now  a  little  in  mine,  and  looked  up  at  me 
as  I  had  never  known  her  to  look  at  me  before,  with 
a  faith  and  trust  and  gentleness  that  I  swore  to  heaven 
should  never  go  from  her  face  and  heart  so  long  as  I 
could  give  my  poor  life  to  keep  them  there.  And 
beside  us  stood  John  Acton  —  serious,  too,  for  the 
moment  —  and  Robert  Curtis  Philigset  her.  brother, 


308    v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE—    v 

with  a  sadness  upon  him  that  nothing  could  ever  lift, 
for  that  his  life  was  seared  by  this  war  that  had  bereft 
him  of  all  family  ties.  Deborah  gave  answer  to  the 
simple  service  in  a  low,  gentle  voice;  and  when  we 
were  done  I  kissed  her  for  her  brave  heart  and  her 
dear  self,  and  —  be  it  confessed  —  in  general  thanks 
to  God  that  she  should  come  so  freely  to  be  with  me 
for  as  long  as  He  should  give  us  life. 

And  so  the  little  ceremony  was  done. 

"  Merton,"  said  Curtis,  as  we  sat  down  to  some 
food,  "  I  have  a  message  for  you  that  means  much,  I 
suspect,"  and  he  gave  me  a  great  official  package  that  I 
knew  came  from  headquarters  as  soon  as  my  eye  lit 
upon  it.  I  was  for  letting  it  lie  for  the  time,  but 
Debby  was  for  insisting  on  opening  it  to  see  what  it 
might  mean.  And  so  I  broke  the  seal,  and  found 
over  our  commander's  great  hand  my  appointment 
to  be  a  major  under  dear  old  Putnam,  and  with 
this  an  order  to  join  my  regiment  in  Connecticut 
at  once. 

Acton  slapped  me  on  the  back ;  Curtis  gravely  shook 
me  by  the  hand;  and  Debby — aye,  what  would  Debby 
do  now? 

"Will  you  go? "I  asked. 

"Why  not,  dear?"  said  she  simply  —  as  simply, 
as  unhesitatingly  as  she  has  said  the  same  thing  every 
time  from  that  day  to  this. 

And  so  in  the  early  afternoon  I  shook  those  two 
tried  friends  by  the  hand  and  bade  them  farewell,  as 
we  started  riding  eastward.  Both  were  ordered  South, 
to  go  they  knew  not  where.  Whether  we  three  should 


v    NONE  BUT  THE  BRAVE  —   *  309 

ever  meet  again,  no  man  could  tell.     But  a  higher 
authority  decided  that  it  should  never  be. 

As  I  said  when  I  began  this  egotistical  scrawl, 
thirty  years  have  gone  since  that  day,  and  we  have 
lived  our  life  together  till  I  have  passed  the  half  cen 
tury.  Our  lot  lay  in  camps  for  more  than  two  years 
yet,  and  then  peace  and  something  that  is  even  greater 
came  to  our  devastated  land;  and  peace  and  quiet 
came  to  Debby  and  to  me.  My  lot  has,  after  all,  been 
a  happy  one,  and  I  cannot  complain. 

Those  two  friends  of  mine  went  further  and  fur 
ther  southward,  until  at  last  they  came  with  the  great 
commander  before  the  now  historic  village  of  York- 
town.  There  they  saw  and  made  part  of  the  siege 
that  gave  us  the  right  to  say  "  American  "  before  all 
the  world.  Acton  returned  in  '83,  and  found  us  at 
home  in  Boston,  where  to  this  day  he  finds  us  still,  — 
and  where  we  sit  together  and  smoke  and  talk  of 
other  days.  But  the  other,  Robert  Curtis  —  as  I 
always  love  to  call  him  —  stayed  behind,  lying  for 
evermore  in  the  trenches  by  that  famous  southern 
town. 


THE   END 


912955 


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